Compared to a few months ago, Montina was much more lively, with some unfamiliar faces from other towns appearing on the streets, except for the locals who used to do business in the small town.

These people were dressed in different clothes, but they could still be seen to be merchants, and unlike the merchants in Pisa, these merchants were much more careful, they would not swarm at the news and pounce on their prey like sharks smelling blood, but would whisper to groups of people who gathered together to discuss, and after the result was reached, they would nominate a leading merchant to negotiate with the other party.

These merchants are cautious and cautious, and they are even a little wary, as if they are afraid that they will be deceived.

For this situation, Alexander knew that it was unlikely to change in the short term.

Although Pisa is close to Montina, the lack of transportation and the almost semi-isolated exchange of news prevent most people from knowing what is happening elsewhere in time.

This is especially true inland, where the near-frenzy of Pisa is the result of the free trade zones that have taken shape between the coastal cities.

In the inland, this kind of free trade zone is more complicated.

This reminded Alexander of Jisha again, he had to admit that Jisha's performance was really beyond his expectations, originally thought that as long as she could do what she told her to do well, it would be enough to be satisfied, but now looking at Jisha's performance can be described as perfect and genius.

Perhaps, Josa was born to be a businessman, and he just happened to inspire her ability, and Alexander sometimes felt that if Jossa was put in Barondi's position, maybe her achievements would be so high that people could look up to her.

Barendi worked hard and conscientiously, and she seemed to have an innate sense of responsibility for her family that might not even be seen in some men these days.

But Barondi wasn't smart, she had achieved with the hard work she had put in more than anyone else.

In this respect, Barundi is not as good as Tsusha.

As for Lucrezia, Alexander began to count "his women" one by one in his heart, thinking of Lucrezia, Alexander was somewhat helpless.

He knew that Lucrezia loved him very much, at least for now, but if he didn't try to restrain himself, her love would sometimes become wild and uncontrollable, so even if he left Pisa, Alexander was ready in advance.

As he had told Ulliu, he would not let Lucrezia leave him at such times, whether out of pure love or personal ambition.

Alexander sat at his desk and looked at the hard paper in front of him, he remembered that he had been sitting like this for some time, but he had not written a word from beginning to end.

In fact, he didn't know how to write the letter.

My fiancée is having an awkward fight with me because I let another woman conceive a baby?

And my sister is also preparing to ask me for this, because I made her feel left out?

These things must not be written, unless he never wants to see that person again.

So what do I write, that my plan has amassed a considerable fortune by dumping goods into Florence, and that I am ready to deal with that Grogenin after receiving the help of the Fugger family?

Writing like this, don't say that the person doesn't understand what these contents are, just mentioning Grogenin might cause her unhappiness.

Although he never said it, Alexander could feel that the man was unhappy about the time he had been separated from him, and had to spend the time he had to spend under the protection of Groganin.

The girl who seems to just like to ask for trouble and even sometimes make trouble is actually very proud.

Sophia is almost 15 years old, the corners of Alexander's mouth are slightly raised, and a sweet smile is revealed.

The two have been separated for more than half a year, and thinking about what Sophia has been doing during this time, Alexander can't help but sigh in his heart.

The news that the Ottomans brought to him was indeed very unexpected for Alexander, and he could never have imagined that Sophia would be inexplicably involved in those legends about Eastern Rome.

The mysterious Orient has always made Europeans have all kinds of inexplicable and even absurd ideas, even if it is just across the Mediterranean Eastern Rome, it always makes Europeans have a sense of mystery as if they are blocked from a thick fog.

Even if the Crusaders ruthlessly knocked on the door of Constantinople and not only sacked and even destroyed that country for nearly 50 years, as long as that land is mentioned, it will still cause many rumors.

Alexander had heard of the legend of "a princess from Eastern Rome" before, but he never thought it would be associated with Sophia.

Legend has it that if this princess is calculated according to her actual age, she should probably be the third or even the fourth generation of blood.

According to the rumor, the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine XI had a daughter with a local woman during the occupation of Athens, and he did not bring his wife and daughter back to the Eastern Rome because of the Ottoman invasion in a hurry.

In the following years, Constantinople was threatened by the Ottomans, perhaps realizing that the empire was about to fall, and he might become the last king of the thousand-year-old empire, for the safety of his daughter, Constantine XI hid the secret, and then ordered his cronies to quietly go to Athens to find the mother and daughter, and asked them to hide their identities and hide among the people.

Because Constantine XI had already guessed that after the capture of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire would inevitably use Greece, which already controlled most of it, as a base and marched towards Europe.

At that time, as the last bloodline of the Eastern Roman Empire, his daughter is bound to become a huge hidden danger in the minds of the Ottomans.

Then, the mother and daughter mysteriously disappeared into the mountains and mountains of Greece, and no one ever saw them again, and no one knew their true whereabouts.

But this story, full of joys and sorrows, life and death, has been handed down.

After 50 years, the story has become a legend, and gradually, the legend has become a myth that people look forward to.

Was there really such a princess, or was it just a hope imagined by the Greeks to rebel against Ottoman rule, or was there indeed such a successor to the last bloodline of Eastern Rome, but how to prove the existence and identity of this person?

Some people have even said that even if this princess really exists, how can there be any guarantee that such a weak mother and daughter will survive in the turbulent years when the thousand-year-old empire finally collapsed and the whole of Greece fell with it?

Perhaps, they survived, but as the years passed, maybe they settled in a remote mountain village, and then as the princess grew up, married, and had children, they gradually forgot the noble blood flowing in their bodies, so that many years later, the last blood of the Eastern Roman Empire gradually disappeared with the passage of time.

This speculation has been circulating in Greece since that time, and for this reason, in the early years, the Ottomans even sent people to search for girls who were close to the age of the legendary princess.

According to the orders of Mehmed II the Conqueror, he was to send the girl to him as soon as he found her, and he had decided that whatever the girl's appearance was, whether she was married or not, whether she was an ugly-looking cripple or a country fool who had already given birth to several children, he would take her into the harem with the greatest ceremony.

This order has been carried out to the letter for many years, and the Sultan's harem has countless women, and the Ottomans have more than once announced that the last princess of the Roman Empire has become the Sultan's favorite concubine, but among the people, the legend of the "lost princess" has always emerged, which makes people think about it.

Alexander shook his head, he felt a little funny when he thought of these legends, he didn't know how Sophia was involved in this matter, maybe it was related to Nashan, thinking of the unreliable old man, Alexander couldn't help but feel a little weird in his heart.

Nashan seems to be one of the more special Gypsies, with his sharp and terrifying knife skills, and his knack for slaughtering people in the most effective way in combat, which is rare among Gypsies.

And he is sometimes a person with a gypsy romance and passion, which can be seen from the depression of Joanna, the former queen of Naples, after losing him.

To Alexander's surprise, the former queen had not found a new lover for so long, as if she was waiting for Nathan's return.

Or is that hateful gypsy secretly in contact with Joanna all along?

Alexander thought that Nathan must have done such a thing, and that man had the typical gypsy cunning.

As for Nashan and the wife of King Vladislas II of Bohemia, Alexander felt that this only showed that in addition to his sharp sword skills, his skills in other aspects were also the envy of his son-in-law.

How to write this letter, Alexander still had some headaches, he could not reveal all his plans as he did to Josha, not because he did not trust Sophia, but because he was afraid that others might find out about his secret.

After all, he didn't know what was going on around Sophia right now, and he didn't even know where Sophia was.

It's just that, according to some legends, it seems that Sophia should be somewhere in the Balkans or Hungary today.

Alexander put down his pen and put his hands behind his head to figure it out, he didn't know what Nathan was doing in that kind of place with Sophia, and he was a little worried when he thought about the turbulent situation in that place now.

But now he needed to know where Sophia was, or he wanted to know where Nashan was.

The Fuggers were very trustworthy, and Gurt Fugger had sent a very detailed agreement, which included the first ducat, which had been promised under the previous agreement, to be deposited by the Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce of the lowland merchants, as collateral for credit.

A huge sum of 20,000 yuan is enough to drive people crazy, and even a behemoth like the Hanseatic League cannot be taken lightly, which is why Zhisa said in the letter that Grogenin will soon take the initiative to find Alexander.

The Fuggers apparently did not like untrustworthy business partners, so Alexander wrote to Nashan as soon as he received the first money.

He only wanted to be a friend of the noblewoman now, and Nashan was indeed as good as he boasted in some respects.

Fortunately, with some sporadic news, Alexander already knew the approximate whereabouts of Nashan.

According to rumors at the Prague court, Queen Sophia of Naples of Bohemia seems to be touring Hungary in place of her husband, apparently Vladislas II asserting his sovereignty over Hungary to Emperor Maximian, but this finally makes Alexander know how Sophia could have appeared in such a place in the Balkans for no apparent reason.

It is very difficult to write a letter to a girl, especially when the girl is angry or jealous, and Alexander does not know if Sophia already knows what he has been doing recently, but he feels that he must be careful, after all, Nashan has always had a prejudice against him, which will inevitably play a bad role in it.

Alexander didn't really blame Nashan, he thought that if he had a daughter of his own, he would be as sure as Nashan.

In the end, Alexander's letter to Sophia contained only one sentence: "When will you come back, my little wife?" ”

With this as he had written, Alexander sealed the envelope, and as he was about to stamp the hot melted wax, there was a knock on the door, and Ofleiyi pushed the door in.

"Your Excellency, you're all ready." Offleiyi took off her hat and saluted, the white feathers fluttering on the brim of her hat in a beautiful arc in the air.

Looking at the marching captain who had packed up as if he was going to a ball, Alexander smiled with satisfaction, then grabbed the sword next to him, stood up and ordered in a loud voice: "Pass my orders, Agri, prepare to march!" ”

The news of Alexander's departure from Pisa reached Rome a few days later.

The reason for the delay was that the city defense of Pisa suddenly strengthened its control over the city of Pisa, citing the departure of the Count of Montina.

Caesar was a little skeptical when he first heard the news, he also didn't believe that Alexander would leave Lucrezia alone in Pisa, and when it was finally confirmed, Caesar couldn't help but be ecstatic!

"That Cambrai made a big mistake!" Caesar was so excited that he couldn't stop shouting, he couldn't stop moving around excitedly, and even hugged Pedro Caderon, who brought him the good news, "I'm going to send troops to Pisa immediately and bring Lucrezia back." ”

Caesar was so excited that he gave the order, and in his opinion Alexander's departure was undoubtedly a perfect opportunity.

He hastily ordered Caderon to gather his officers together as soon as possible to prepare a plan to send troops to Pisa, while his eyes were involuntarily fixed on the city of Pisa.

What happened in Pisa has attracted too much attention, and the wealth pouring into that city is insane.

For a time, in the minds of many people, Pisa has become a port on the road to wealth.

Taking Pisa in the name of rescuing Lucrecia, Caesar felt that he was like Menelaos, the legendary Greek hero who went on an expedition to reclaim Helen, and that he would lead a powerful army to punish the Trojan villain who had taken Helen from him.

When the officers heard the news, each of them seemed so impatient.

For the mercenaries, in addition to the pitiful salary, the loot of looting is the source of their wealth.

These officers have been almost impatient for a few days, and Caesar's mercenaries are even more impatient to see Gonzalo's men mixed up so proudly.

Caesar's army had not been formed for a long time, but the officers were experienced veterans, and they knew how to control the thorny soldiers, and how to reorganize the soldiers on the battlefield who had been discouraged and timid.

This reassured Caesar, who believed that even if Alexander's army was really not easy to deal with, as some people said, the might of the army he possessed would be enough to teach the bold man a good lesson.

"It's a pity that the Cambrai fled straight back to Montina, and he should have thanked God for his good fortune," Caesar said to those around him, "or I could go to Montina and find him." ”

Caesar's desire to attack was echoed by his officers.

This time, Alexander VI did not stop Caesar.

With his father's approval, Caesar decided to prove to everyone with a victory that he possessed abilities that were not inferior to Giovanni's, if not better, than Giovanni.

On 14 October, Caesar left Rome, where he would spend a day in a barracks outside the city, before marching to Pisa with his army of about 3,000 men on the 15th.

Before that, Caesar had learned from the Pope that the Rovere family had ordered the Genoese army of 1,000 men to return to Genoa.

This meant that even if the new Agris were to be put to good use, Alexander's total strength would not exceed 2,200.

With 3000 trained mercenaries against 2000, many of whom are said to be still peasants' armies, Caesar believed that he had complete superiority.

Early in the morning of October 15, 1497, in a misty morning haze that was already chilling, Caesar inspected his army, accompanied by a bullfighting banner and a chaplain.

It was also the first time since he renounced the priesthood that he had publicly inspected the military in a secular capacity.

Caesar was pleased with the casual but fierce countenance of the mercenaries, who knew that for a long time to come, he would have to conquer city after city with blood and fire with these perhaps unpleasant but absolutely fearsome soldiers.

"I believe this day is the most meaningful for me."

Caesar said to the people around him with some excitement that he didn't care what other people would think of after hearing this, after all, Giovanni had been dead for a long time, and even people had begun to slowly forget his brother.

In the distance, Cadron hurried up, and he came to Caesarhorse with a letter in his hand and held it high.

"My lord, Miss Cosenza has sent you a letter."

Caesar was stunned for a moment, then let out a loud laugh.

"Why, is that Countess going to intercede on behalf of her brother, and if she is willing to condescend to my Loka Palace, I would be glad to hear what she has to say."

Caesar's words were clearly suggestive, causing laughter all around, and the mercenaries looked at their employers with obscene expressions, and even the chaplain next to them showed a vague smile on his face.

"Your Excellency, you better take a look," said Cadelon, a little anxiously, "said that the Count had sent this letter to be forwarded to you by the Count of Montina. ”

Caesar was stunned, he didn't know what else Alexander could distinguish for himself at this time, but he still bent down and took the letter from the squire's raised hand, and then opened it nonchalantly.

Then, the person next to him saw Caesar's face change suddenly!

The letter is short, or rather an invitation.

"Dear Count of Avar," Alexander deliberately used only this title of Caesar in his letter, without mentioning any other status, "I cordially invite you to have a meeting in order to clear up any misunderstanding between us that may be painful to a woman whom we all love, and if you think my proposal is feasible, then I will wait for your reply in Livorno." ”

Looking at the contents of this letter, Caesar's heart could no longer be calm.

He didn't care if Alexander invited him to negotiate, but he couldn't ignore the place mentioned in the letter.

On 14 October 1497, Alexander's army marched into the Papal Divorno, directly threatening the Papal army's route to Pisa from the flank.