1499, the last year of the 15th century.

In this century, many major events have taken place, whether it is art or technology, it will be separated from the previous 1499 as a boundary, and the future 16th century will bring the whole world into a completely different new era.

The millennia of dark ages will come to an end at the end of this century, and an era of dawn unlike anything else is coming.

It's just that Alexander is the only one who knows this, and he knows very well what the 16th century meant, an era in which there were no major breakthroughs in the previous millennium, but which in the next 100 years were like a burst of brilliant figures, and it would be the first era that would not be entirely a monarch but a great scientist and thinker.

The waves are magnificent, but the dark tide is turbulent, and Alexander feels the great momentum of the future era, but also the many crises in it.

At this time, Alexander suddenly wanted to know how Caesar felt when he said the famous sentence "I come, I see, I conquer", but his mood now is somewhat emotional.

Caesar, who came to the Tuilan Palace at night, saw the lights of the Tuilan Palace from a distance, and Alexander knew the habits of Count Modillo's life, so to speak, his uncle was a pure hedonist, and even in this era when both materials and skills were poor, the life of Count Modillo could be called colorful.

During his time in Naples, Alexander had seen the count tryst with different ladies more than once, and he found it interesting that many of the noblewomen's husbands were proud that their wives had been able to enter the eyes of the Count of Mordillo.

The palace was always bustling with people, and the supposedly generous Count opened its doors to all who were willing to come in for a banquet and talk to him, even ordinary merchants and commoners, as long as it was not too much, and he did not care much about the identity of the other party.

It's just that in the past two years, the Count has obviously become a deep and simple, as if in order to dispel Frederick's possible suspicions about him, the Count of Mordillo has not taken the initiative to invite anyone to his home for a long time, and the Tuylan Palace has not held a banquet for a long time.

But now, on the first day of Alexander's return, the Tuylan Palace was bustling with activity.

This seemed too direct and blatant, as if to tell Frederick "I'm going to do something". But this was exactly what Alexander needed, because he would only do something out of the ordinary if he pushed Frederick into a hurry.

Alexander's arrival caused a burst of cheers from the guests of Tuylan Palace, but unlike the people in the lookout tavern, he saw in the eyes of these guests a very different kind of excitement, metaphor, and greed.

A few years was enough time for Count Mordillo to use the prestige and rich financial resources accumulated by the family over the years to recruit a group of people, some of whom were old nobles from the era of the former Kingdom of Naples and were originally at odds with the royal family of Aragon, some were purely bought by the Count and Jisha with money, and some seemed to see some opportunity and took the initiative to take refuge.

These people are not usually very close to each other, and even when they get together, there is no main topic, which makes it impossible to grasp them at all, and as time goes by, a kind of self-evident tacit understanding slowly forms between them.

These people were waiting like the Count of Mordillo, and they probably didn't know what they were waiting for, but when the time came, they all gathered in the Count's Tuylan Palace.

The guests were not all nobles, so they were arranged in different rooms in the main hall, all of which were like a large rose petal arching over the middle of the main hall, and people could pass through the main hall to enter the other rooms, but according to Alexander's observations, these people were actually very different, for example, the nobles had frequent contact with the soldiers, but they did not easily associate with the merchants, while some of the locals, who did not have titles but were quite prestigious in Naples, were able to talk to both the nobles and the merchants.

Alexander walked through the main hall and greeted the men frequently, and every time he appeared, he caused a small commotion.

Alexander could perceive how tightly the web had been woven by Count Mordillo's unhurried patience over the years, and it could be said that he could become regent of Naples without even Alexander's help if he wanted to.

But that's not all Alexander wants.

"It's time for us to go." The Count watched Alexander socialize with the guests and then came over and whispered, and then he led the way towards the brook behind the Duylan Palace.

There was a wooden house built on the stream, and there was no shelter around it with thick wooden posts on the river, and even the wooden planks under his feet were too open to hide people.

It's not comfortable in winter, but it's a good place to escape the heat in summer, and the key point is that this is where the Count gathers key people to discuss things.

There were five people waiting in the wooden room, and when he saw that one of them seemed to be the nobleman who questioned his unreasonableness to the king in the daytime, Alexander couldn't help but glance at the count beside him.

If the Count had no ambition, probably even God would have laughed.

"The Sealman, Leoford," the Count introduced Alexander with a smile, "you have seen his tongue before. ”

"Palm Seal Officer." Alexander nodded slightly.

"The Earl." The Palm Seal Officer also bowed slightly in response.

There was no red tape or rhetoric, but both sides seemed to understand what the other meant.

"Well, these are all true people here," the Count picked up a silver kettle from the table next to him and poured wine for everyone himself, and at the same time introduced the other four people to Alexander, the officer of the city defense army, the chief officer of the port tax office, the mercenary captain of the palace guard, and a representative of the local Chamber of Commerce in Naples, plus this well-hidden palace seal, these people can be said to be key figures in the control of different lifelines of the Kingdom of Naples. ”

For several people's surprise at Qiao Er's famous name, the nephew and uncle both chose to ignore it, which is also a tacit understanding between the two, all for the sake of the more thrilling plan in the future.

"I'm going to take Naples." Without any disguise at all, Alexander directly said his thoughts, and then his eyes slowly crossed the faces of several people.

There was a faint gasp, Alexander's gaze fell on the head of the tax collection office, and when he saw the head of the tax collection office, he nodded a little excitedly after seeing the head of the office, he smiled and looked at the others.

"Are you sure?" The officer of the city defense army looked at Alexander, "Count, I am not against it, but I know that you only brought three boats, and your soldiers are less than 700 people at most, if you want to say that it is okay to occupy the palace, but ...... next"

The captain shook his head.

Obviously, the officers were thinking about the possible consequences of a large-scale counteroffensive by the city defense army.

Looking at the different expressions of several people, Alexander was very satisfied.

Not against it, but purely from the point of view of whether the coup can be successful, which means that it is not a question for them whether the coup should be couped, but only that they fear that it may fail.

This says it all, as the Count of Mordillo said, these people are indeed "their own people", at least for the time being.

As for what will happen next, no one can guarantee.

"I didn't bring three boats, I have 10 more on the islands off the coast," Alexander didn't mind doubling the army he had brought, now what he needed was to give these people enough confidence, "I brought an army of 3,000 men, you should have seen the Balkans I brought, do you think the Neapolitan army can hold back such a 3,000-strong team?" ”

The eyes of several people began to change, and they looked at each other, and finally landed on the faces of the Earl and the Palm Sealer, Leoford.

"My lord, if we do this, what should we do next, who will be the king?" The Palm Seal Officer stared at the Count with a slightly burning gaze, "We all know that you have the blood of the royal family of Anjou......"

"No," Modillo shook his head, he slowly sat down and took a sip of his wine, his eyes surveyed the men and saw their eager expressions, the count shook his head and said, "You should know that this is not my time, let alone the age of the Anjou family, so it is a terrible idea for me to inherit it." ”

Several people listened with solemn expressions, they knew that this was a critical moment, because everything decided here was likely to be related to the fate of the future Kingdom of Naples.

The funny thing is that they are only planning a coup d'état in this wooden house, but they have already begun to think about who will inherit the kingdom in the future.

"The heir must be a person who can legitimately, or at least nominally have a legitimate claim to Naples or even Sicily, then there must be only one person now," Mordillo looked at Alexander, a somewhat strange look in his eyes, "This person is Prince Alfred." ”

Several people looked surprised, and they looked at Alexander in surprise, wanting to know what he thought of the count's statement.

After all, if there is a disagreement between the two nephews, then things are a little bad.

Alexander's gaze met the Count, who he did not expect to suddenly oppose his plan, and although he wanted an explanation, he knew that this was not the time for an argument.

In addition, he could vaguely feel that the Count still had something to say.

"There is another way, and if you want to legally rule Naples, my niece Zhisa has the same chance," said the Count of Mordillo, who paused, his gaze on Alexander as if all he had said to him, "but only if she marries Prince Alfred." ”

There was a slight gasp in the wooden room, and the eyes of several people became truly excited.

There is no shortage of bloody coups d'état in history that after a bloody coup d'état, it is a third party who ultimately reaps the fruits of victory, or even if the coup is successful, the hidden dangers that can be buried will bring all kinds of troubles in the future.

Therefore, if the goal can be achieved by even a legal way that conceals the eyes of others, no one will choose such a drastic way.

Now the Count's words seem to give these people hope for a "legitimate coup".

Alexander looked at the Count in silence, thinking that perhaps the Count had thought of this from the beginning, but he never told him.

As for the reason, everyone knows it.

Alexander also sat down slowly, the two nephews and uncles looked at each other silently from afar, and several people next to them also noticed this abnormal atmosphere, and for a while the wooden room fell silent.

"We've got some food to eat outside," the Count made the worst excuse, and after a few men had left, the Count looked at Alexander, "I know you've done a lot of things, including sending that Baribar merchant named Matthews Tiego to Portugal, and although I don't know why you chose there, I know you have a reason. ”

"Tell me straight, what are you going to say?" Alexander said coldly.

"You want the crown," the count said directly, "if I am not mistaken, your ambition is so great that you want not only to get Castile, but also to wear the crown of Aragon, so why can't you make some sacrifices for this?" ”

"Just like you sacrificed your sister?" Alexander's expression was still cold.

"You should know it's worth it, or there wouldn't be this gathering here today," the Count was a little impatient, and he got up and walked back and forth, the planks under his feet creaking, "We have been preparing for this day for too long, and now we can grasp everything with just a hand and a grasp, should we give up this opportunity?" ”

Alexander's expression was cold, and anger was already flashing in his eyes: "But I didn't want to sacrifice Jisha, I'm not you, and I won't sacrifice my sister to achieve my goal." ”

"But she's not your sister at all!"

The Count finally broke out completely.

He stared at Alexander with red eyes, walked up to him a few steps, and whispered in his ear in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "We all know something, but do we really have to explain it?" You want to get the crown of Castile, and I want to achieve the unity of the Kingdom of Sicily, and our goal is the same. What's more, if my plans go well, maybe your dreams will really come true, you can get Castile, and your children can inherit these two kingdoms. Speaking of this, the Earl paused for a moment and directly pierced the last bit of obstacle, "I'm talking about you and Jisha's children." Do you hear that your descendants can become kings of a vast empire, tell me what else you want! ”

Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly at the Count, who was now even more sure that the Count had planned it a long time ago.

Taking advantage of Josa's marriage to Alfred allowed the Mordillos to legally seize Naples and serve as a branch of the Anjou family, which meant that Josa and Alfred's children also had the opportunity to claim power to the Kingdom of Sicily.

But more crucially, what would it mean if Zhisa married Alfred and then had a child with him, and maybe even the only child who had the right to inherit?

Two Sicilies, Castile and even Aragon!

Alexander looked at the rare Count, who was no longer so breezy and light, but showed an excited look, and suddenly felt that although he had known that Mordilo was not a fuel-efficient lamp before, he still underestimated him now.

It is clear that in Count Mordillo's plans, whether it is his sister, niece, or his cheap nephew, or Frederick and his son Alfred, everyone is a pawn in his vast ambitions.

No one is an exception, and no one can jump out of his grasp.

"What do you think, tell me what you think." The Count asked in a rare aggressive tone, "Think about it, all this is really just a matter of reaching out, so what do you choose?" ”

Under the pressure of the count, Alexander thought for a moment, and then laughed: "Dear uncle, I don't know if you have heard the saying, 'Only children choose' and I am no longer a child. ”

In the gazebo outside the wooden house, a few Neapolitans waited anxiously.

They did not know exactly what caused the disagreement between the Count's nephews and uncles, but Count Modiglo's plan could be said to be perfect, especially at a time when the French were coming, and it was undoubtedly the ideal plan to complete the change of power quickly and without much commotion.

Only now it seems that the Count of Montina is very unhappy with this plan, which makes these Neapolitans feel embarrassed.

They knew very well that they would have to rely on Alexander's army to take control of Naples, but now that there was a disagreement between the two vital chieftains, it was too bad.

As time passed, the anxiety grew stronger and thicker among the several people, and just as they were discussing with Leoford, the palm sealer, to inquire about what was going on, the door of the wooden house came and Alexander walked out of it.

Behind him, the Count of Mordillo walked out with a heavy expression, and when he saw a few nervous Neapolitans hurrying over, the Count exhaled softly.

"Rest assured, my feast will go on," said the Earl cryptically as he walked up to the men, "but the rest will be decided by my nephew, Joel." ”

The eyes of the Neapolitans were fixed on Alexander's face, and several people waited with bated breath for Alexander's decision.

Alexander's eyes flickered, he knew that these people were tied to him, and now they were waiting not only for the decision of what to do next, but also for the direction of their future destiny.

"I will follow the advice of my esteemed uncle, the Count of Mordiglo, and if all goes well, I will acknowledge the marriage of my sister Josa to Prince Alfred after it is confirmed that Prince Alfred will become king."

As soon as Alexander's words came out, the Neapolitans couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and they looked at each other with an irrepressible glint of excitement in their eyes.

"I have written to my sister, Madame de Comtesia, believing that she will soon be in Naples," said Alexander, his eyes flashing with sternness, and he lowered his voice and said to the Neapolitans, "My lords, I would like to remind you that we are about to carry out a coup d'état, and any mistake could lead to defeat or even death, so from now on I want all of you to obey my orders completely." ”

The Neapolitans looked at each other, then bowed to Alexander, led by Leoford, the Palm Seal.

"Alright, let's go to the banquet now, if we are gone too long, we will be noticed," said the Count of Mordillo slowly, his eyes sweeping over everyone, and his tone with a heaviness rarely seen in his usual tone, "tell our men to get ready, the glory of success and the destruction of defeat are in the hands of all of us." ”

On the first day of July 1499, with the faint chirping of cicadas and in the light of the moonlight on a midsummer night, a fast horse galloped into the castle in the valley of Cosenza.

When Lady George Anne, who was asleep, heard the news and hurried to her, Joysa, who was accompanied by Belleri, was giving orders in the hall where a large group of knights had gathered.

Seeing her mother, she stopped and walked towards her.

"Qiao Er is back, isn't he, where is he now?" Lady George Anne asked anxiously.

"Brother is in Naples, but you'd better not see him in another two days," Jossa whispered to her mother, and then she turned back to give the order to the knights and officers who were faintly excited, "Deliver my order, Cosenza Grenadier Company, and prepare to go." ”

"Soldiers, prepare to move forward~

Behold, the armor of the Ottomans is distinct,

Their feathers are so beautiful that I can't help but want to pluck them,

Oh ~ Grenadier, Miss Earl is there, let's salute her......"

The singing is flying, and the queue is long.

In the early morning of July 2, 1499, the Cosenza army, with the 1st Cosenza Grenadier Company as the main force, marched into Naples.

Solid Bear said

Are you going to be frightened again?