Joseph Buccini walked down the street with ease, and as he bowed to the two women passing by with a smile on his face, the two Neapolitan women looked at the Jew suspiciously, and then secretly wondered if the man was proud of the loan shark to whom he had lent usury.

Joseph Buccini was indeed delighted, for not only had he finally proved his conjecture, but he had also met the young princess, whom he regarded as the true master of the city.

Unlike his fellow Jews, Buccini was more interested not only in how to do business with the fledgling trade union, but in those behind the free trade union.

Buccini believes that understanding and knowing, and even dealing directly with those people, is the most important thing, and he values the enormous potential behind this budding behemoth more than doing business with the alliance.

The free-trade zone, which may sound a bit paradoxical, is no more threatening than the Hanseatic League, but Buccini doesn't see it that way.

He felt that the people behind the trade zone were like a group of sharks hidden in the deep sea, they were watching their prey at all times, and once the target let their guard down, these sharks would emerge from the bottom of the sea, and then pounce on the target with ferocity, tearing them apart and devouring them.

And this trade area and the Hanseatic League are also very different, that is, although the Hanseatic League also has a huge influence, but they are still merchants after all, and the founders of this trade area themselves are not only noble, but also have an army and power in their hands, which makes Buccini keenly aware that this trade alliance is not destined to be just for the pursuit of wealth from the beginning of its establishment, it is obvious that the brother and sister are using their skillful methods of money manipulation while crazy amassing huge wealth, While using this huge financial resources to realize their ambitions.

It now seems that their actions have begun to bear fruit, and they have bought first the support from Venice with money, and then the "buying" of the Kingdom of Naples.

However, Buccini does not think that everything will go well for the siblings, because everyone knows that the French are coming, so although it seems that the Modillo family has taken control of Naples, who can guarantee that they will not just make wedding dresses for the French?

And it's clear that the Count Montina siblings have thought of this, and although it's unclear how the siblings plan to get through this difficult situation, Buccini still thinks it's a good opportunity.

The first meeting with Jossa made Buccini very satisfied, although he was soon driven out of her room by the beautiful princess mercilessly, but instead of feeling depressed, Buccini was in a good mood, because he noticed that the princess's dissatisfaction with him was only because he took the liberty of proposing a way to cooperate with the free trade zone alliance, rather than any objection to the proposed cooperation itself, which made Buccini secretly wonder in his heart, not knowing what price could make the princess change her mind.

Unlike all his companions, Buccini did not think that the Jews should suffer all kinds of suffering, especially when the wealth they had worked so hard to accumulate was looted again and again, as if the Jews were born to be slaves of those kings and nobles, this kind of thing Buuccini saw too much since he was a child, and heard more, and the whole of Europe seemed to treat the Jews as fat sheep that could be sheared and cut at any time, and this situation felt that something should change.

Supporting a Wallachian Archduchess with only money was not enough to satisfy Buccini, who was more ambitious and ambitious than any other Jew.

Not only to nurture, but also to participate in the process of building a huge power or even a state, so that the influence of the Jews is deeply rooted in this power from the beginning, maybe they do not need to stand up and hold power, but as long as they hide behind those who hold power, the Jews have a chance to change the bad fate that has always been.

Buccini's goal was simple: he wanted to be not only a patron of the siblings, but also a part of their "little kingdom" that was beginning to take shape.

It was so called because Buccini was well aware that perhaps in the minds of the siblings, or the Count of Montina, a Neapolitan, a Montina, a Pisa, and even a Wallachia were just a prelude to his ambitions.

Buccini didn't know exactly what the Count of Montina wanted, but he believed it must be a jaw-droppingly large target.

"Maybe the triple crown that was paid so much before will have a greater effect this time." After returning to his residence, Buccini began to write secret letters to his companions in Venice: "I have heard some interesting news here, the Count of Montina is actively promoting the appointment of one of his friends, the newly appointed Metropolitan of Tuscany and Romagna, Massimo, as the Cardinal, the time from the abbot of the Abbey of St. Mark to the Metropolis seems to be only a blink of an eye, and now the Count is promoting him to a cardinal, which makes me have a very bold guess. Do we have the opportunity to deal with a future pope, or with a person who is trying to support a pope, you know, just 2 years ago we almost succeeded in sponsoring a pope in the Vatican, but then all kinds of changes made us almost into a desperate situation, and it just so happened that it was this Count Montina who caused us to fail, but I don't think this unpleasant past will affect our future cooperation with the Count, maybe on the contrary, Having seen with his own eyes the great power we have shown in such matters, I believe that the Count should have greater confidence in cooperating with us. ”

Buccini stopped at this point, throwing away the quill that had broken down because of his excessive speed and replacing it with a new one, and then the opportunity to clear his head, which was a little hot from excitement.

Buccini walked to the window and looked out at the city, he firmly believed that the city contained a secret, and now he felt that he was very close to this secret, as long as he approached carefully, he could eventually discover everything behind this secret, but before that, the key was not to let himself get hurt by getting too close.

Buccini had a strong hunch that the Count of Montina didn't seem to want anyone to notice Naples, or rather to pay too much attention to the princess.

Even the Archduchess of Wallachia or Lucrezia, the mother of the Duchess of Pisa, Estles, although they had a strange relationship with the count, he didn't seem to care much about the attention they received, but Buccini could sense that the count had a very peculiar desire to protect his half-sister, which made the former countess and now the princess, although quite peculiar, never so noticeable. So Buccini didn't want to attract the Count's disgust or even hostility because he noticed this.

Approaching that secret without making sure to anger the Count, or to make the Count understand that they were not a danger to him, was exactly what Buccini wanted to do.

"We need to make the siblings understand that we have no ambition for power, and that even if we become one of them in the future, we will not pose a threat to them, and this is crucial, otherwise even if we are willing to help us greatly, we may end up in trouble for ourselves by arousing suspicion, so I think the triple crown plays an important role here, and this treasure can undoubtedly be a strong guarantee of our sincerity."

Buccini, who had written this, finally stopped, he looked at the handwriting on the letter that seemed a little sultry because of his excitement and smiled, and then he took out the "Law Guide" of Ca' Foscari University, which had never left him, and began to translate the written secret letter into a secret text little by little according to a certain rule marked on the book.

"I wish the elders weren't so stubborn."

Buccini was somewhat skeptical of the caution of the elders, but he also knew that it was not for nothing that those men were so cautious, and it can be said that it was because of the caution of these elders for so long that the Jews would not be completely defeated even if they suffered setbacks.

And he couldn't help but admit that the elders had been right in trying to finance the Sicilian bishop Alfonso.

As for the subsequent failure, it was not so much a setback in the plan as a bad luck meeting the Count of Montina.

However, as he said in his letter, it now seems that the last confrontation with the Comte de Montina was not only not a bad thing, but might also be an opportunity to bring about a great change in the relationship between the two sides.

Thinking about the future, Buccini shook his fist with some excitement, he had always longed for a chance to be a truly respected businessman, not to be despised like other Jews even if they were rich, or always thought that doing business with him was signing a pact with the devil.

Buccini thought it was unfair, and he hoped that one day people would respect him because he was a successful businessman, not because he could buy their houses and businesses at will, and that he would not be wantonly persecuted because of jealousy and greed for his wealth.

But in order to achieve this, it was necessary to become the collaborator of the count, as he said, and not just to give money to the Archduchess of Wallachia, otherwise the Jews would never be able to escape the fate of being someone else's money.

While Buccini was thinking about the future of the Jews, Josha was sitting at the table with her cheeks crossed and staring at the thick pile of contracts.

This was the money that Frederick owed to the Jews, and although she knew that it was a large amount, looking at the figure of 140,000 florins above, she could not help but furrow her pretty brows, which Alexander had praised more than once as "beautiful curves like the crescent moon of birth".

Josa knew that she could get the money, and that it would not be difficult, but even then she felt a little unhappy, for she thought Frederick's money was too well spent.

She was completely disappointed with the Naples city defenses, and it seemed to her that if the money was used to equip her Cosenza army, she could even just fire the mercenaries and mercenary knights she had already looked at unpleasantly, and then reorganize her Cosenza army in the same way as the 1st Grenadier Company, if that case, she would not have to worry about even if the French came.

Although she has an almost instinctive trust in Alexander, which makes her convinced that what will happen in the near future, perhaps because she is now the mistress of Naples, Josha's heart has begun to change unconsciously.

What if Naples could be rearmed?

This thought made Jisha's heart pound, and then thinking of the intention vaguely revealed by the Jew just now, Jisha's mind couldn't help but come to life.

She pushed the bill to the side and began to write it down on a piece of paper, she needed to roughly calculate how much money she would have to invest in the process, and as for the debts, she felt that if the Jews were sincere, they should be generously forgiven.

But she had only time to write an opening, and as the servant reported, Count Mordillo entered her room.

"I heard a Jew came looking for you?" The Earl asked, seeing that Jisha nodded and handed over the list of arrears, the Earl first looked at the items on it and shook his head slightly, and then he sat down and looked at Jisha seriously, "Tell me what you think." ”

"You mean you owe money?" Jisha guessed something, but she deliberately pretended to be confused, "I don't have a hard time repaying this money, but I have other ......"

"You know what I'm talking about," interrupted the niece with a slightly forceful voice, "you're Alfred's wife now. ”

"It's just nominal," he waved his hand disapprovingly, "before he wanted to assault me, but now he's asleep. ”

"I've heard that," the Count sighed, he didn't expect Tsusha to be so bold and inexplicably stubborn, he thought that becoming Alfred's wife was a very important step in the whole plan, and then he could take advantage of it, but now his niece didn't seem to want to make this step so easy, "but how long do you think it can be delayed, and what's the point?" Or are you worried because you didn't conceive a child with George? As he spoke, the Earl involuntarily looked at the lower abdomen of Josa, and then said suspiciously, "But he already has a daughter, and isn't the Bohemian woman also pregnant, so why can't he impregnate you?" ”

"What are you talking nonsense, me and Alexander, the two of us have no ......"

"None? You mean you don't~" The Earl made a gesture that made Zhosa a a little annoyed, looking at his niece's somewhat angry eyes, the look on Modillo's face became a little strange, "Of course you know that you are not brothers and sisters at all, in fact, even if you are brothers and sisters, it is nothing, I mean you have to have a child is the key," the Count waved his hand as if to get this somewhat bad conversation to the point quickly, "The key is that you must have a child of George, not Alexandre Giulian Gombray, Count of Montina, but George. Modiglo's children. ”

"Does it make any difference, uncle?"

"Of course there is a difference, maybe it wasn't like that at first, but it has to be that way now, because you should already know who 'Qiao Er''s father is, so what do you think is the difference between the illegitimate son of an earl and the illegitimate son of a prince?"

"Uncle, you really surprise me, it seems that we are discussing how to let me have a child for my brother." Visa looked at Count Mordillo in a sarcastic tone, when she once thought that this person was unsurpassable, but now she suddenly realized that this person did not seem to be so high, at least now he was complaining to her but there was nothing he could do.

The Earl was a little annoyed and tore off the soft hat on his head, he didn't expect that the always obedient niece didn't know when it became such a headache for him, thinking that it was all because of that Alexander, the Count was upset.

"You must ...... as soon as possible, either way You know what I mean, tell me if he's not interested in you? The Earl immediately denied the speculation after asking, "This is impossible, anyone can see the way he looks at you unless he is blind, and that is not what an older brother should have." Then again, if he was really your brother, he would have broken his leg by your mother a long time ago. Anyway, you get this done quickly, you know we don't have much time, the French are coming, and once you are separated and you don't conceive a child at that time it will be a bit of a problem, you know that you can't delay it all the time. ”

"But uncle, what if we can hold Naples?" Seeing the count's surprised expression, he said with some excitement, "I mean, if we defeat the invading French and then completely control Naples, maybe we won't need to be in such a hurry at that time." ”

"It's impossible, do you think you can hold Naples with your Cosenza grenadiers, you must know that the city defense is unreliable, not even with the Montina army, I know the French very well, they are too strong." Although he didn't want to admit that this was true, the count still smiled bitterly and persuaded him, "You are very smart, not only are you smarter than women, but even more than many men I have seen, and your bravery is something that even the most demanding generals have to admit, but this does not mean that you can defeat the French, you must know that you are not facing the army of a small city-state or any lord, but the army of the Kingdom of France." ”

The count's words made the somewhat excited Jossa gradually calm down, she knew that her uncle was right, there was probably no one in Naples who was more familiar with the French than the count of Mordillo, and it was because he knew the army too well that he knew its horror better.

"That's why I'm urging you to get pregnant quickly," the Count repeated the taboo subject, "You have already heard that the Pope's relationship with the French is ambiguous, and Alexander's relationship with the French is bound to become complicated because of Lucrezia, so do you think he might help you defend Naples?" ”

Josha's eyes darkened slightly, she had always been proud of being the only sister who could be favored by her brother, because other women would never be able to have the complicated but natural relationship between her and Alexander, which is why she delayed taking that crucial step, she cherished the kind of relationship that only belonged to the two of them, if she really took that step, then would she become just one of Alexander's women?

It's just that the earl's words have reminded him that which is closer and more important, the sister or the lover, or even the mother of the child?

Seeing the slightly worried expression of the Chelsa, the Count breathed a sigh of relief, he didn't want to know what Chelsa was thinking before, at this time Naples was facing the invasion of the French army, which was the most important thing.

"Are we really going to be able to hold it?" Zhisa asked a little unwillingly, "Louis will leave most of his army in the north in order to invade Lombardy, how many French troops will invade Naples?" ”

"Even if the French are small in number, your Cosenza grenadiers will not be able to resist," the count sighed lightly, "If the Cosencha had formed an army a few years earlier, it might have been possible, but now you can't defeat the French with your strength." ”

Disappointed, she leaned back in her chair and looked out the window.

A flag shadow flashed through the courtyard, and before she could react, a rush of footsteps could be heard from the distance in the hallway.

Instinctively, she stood up, and then she ran to the door without thinking.

The door opened, and Alexander's figure appeared in the doorway.

With cheers, Jossa threw herself into Alexander's arms!

"I'm back, my sister," Alexander whispered in her ear, clasping her around her body, "and I've brought you a gift." ”