Segovia is a town between Valriarido and Madrid, which has a new era.

There is a river that is not wide, but it is quite turbulent because of the topography.

Because of this, anyone who wants to travel to Madrid must pass through the ferry port of Segovia, otherwise they will have to take a long detour to find a place to cross the river, whether east or west.

Ferdinand believed that the fugitives would not be able to risk a long journey, as it would not only delay time, but also lead to accidents along the way.

Their single quickest route was to cross the river via the Segovia crossing.

It could even be said that once they had crossed the river through the Segovia crossing, they were almost free of Ferdinand's control, and on that alone they were likely to have escaped from the Segovian crossing.

To Ferdinand's surprise, however, his troops pursued them all the way to the port of Segovia, and from the men of the port of Segovia, it was certain that they had not seen any of them.

The search team had to navigate the roads between Barriaridód and Segovia in the hope of discovering the whereabouts of the fugitives.

Everywhere they went, they searched strictly, and on the way, they searched all the suspicious travelers they encountered.

But they never found anything, and after leaving in a hurry, they left only the locals full of doubts and uneasiness.

In Barriaridud, Ferdinand's only regret was that he had invited so many nobles to the purification ceremony in order to expand his influence.

Despite the order to keep the news tightly sealed, in less than half a day, terrible rumors had spread throughout the city.

What made Ferdinand even more angry was the fact that there were already public suspicions that the Juana couple might have defected to Madrid.

By this time, many people already knew what was going on in Madrid and who was in Madrid.

And Ferdinand's move of sending troops to chase and kill in the direction of Madrid invisibly proves this speculation.

Vallariddod, shaken.

Sensing the danger, Ferdinand ordered the troops mobilized from Aragon to take over the entire palace guards, and for a time the palace of the Barriaridus was heavily guarded, as if it were facing a great enemy.

When night came, Ferdinand climbed the towers of the palace.

He saw the city brighter than ever before, candles and torches lit in the hands of the great crowds of Barriaridodians who had taken to the streets.

The people were praying for their queen and expressing their anger at Ferdinand in this way.

At this moment, Ferdinand felt that he was completely in a predicament.

For the first time, the idea of fleeing the city and the country occurred in his heart.

When Alexander woke up in the morning, he suddenly felt unusually good.

He couldn't tell what it was, but the premonition that something good was about to happen was so strong from the moment he opened his eyes.

A day earlier, an army had arrived on the outskirts of Madrid from the south, having briefly "visited" Toledo and received a flag with a yellow background from the archbishop.

The army was formed by both Castile and Sicilian, which, according to the knight Don de Klear, would make the operation appear "in order".

The army was led by a Castilian general, which is not up for debate, but the Sicilians also sent their general as a so-called lieutenant.

Because it was cavalry, and it was marching in the country, the army, which was entirely worried about supplies, set out from Andalusia and headed north, ending at the old capital of Toledo.

The march of this army caused a little panic, and the Castilians were surprised to find that a foreign army had suddenly entered their territory, but it was their own soldiers who were marching with them.

The suspicion began to spread from south to north, so that even those who were closed off began to know that something great was going on in the kingdom.

It was also on the day of the arrival of this army that Don Banderaz officially submitted his resignation to Alexander.

The reason for the resignation was that the appointment, which had originally come from Queen Isabella and was later endorsed by Juana, was automatically considered illegal given that the latter's appointment had been "coerced" by Ferdinand.

As a result, neither Don Bandraz himself, nor the nobles and the general public of Madrid, considered this appointment to be out of date and requested his resignation.

Alexandre happily accepted Don Bandraz's resignation, but then, almost as soon as he took the resignation with his left hand, he handed the former mayor of Madrid a new appointment with his right hand.

The letter of appointment reads: "Juan Fernando Don Bandraz is hereby appointed Mayor of Madrid, may God protect his soul from corruption, loyalty and diligence, integrity and integrity, in order to repay the trust of His Highness Giorgio Modilo Astamara......"

Wait, wait, wait.

This trick may seem comical to many, but both Alexander and Don Banderaz and all the participants took the whole process seriously.

The new mayor naturally had a new atmosphere, and the first thing Don Banderaz did after taking office was to order the abolition of the so-called "southern tax" established in the Isabella era.

The Southern Tax was a unique product of Isabella's time, or rather a rather effective means that Isabella had created to consolidate her rule.

Even during the Moorish period, the south of Castile was much richer than the north because of its geographical advantages, especially with the development of new colonies, this gap between the rich and the poor between the north and the south became wider and wider.

Isabella, who had seen this early on and could cause a great contradictory crisis, established the southern tax system, stipulating that all goods sold from the south to the north would be subject to an additional tax of half to one percent.

Isabella did this in the first place, apparently to balance the differences between the north and the south, and the larger purpose was to gradually weaken the power of the southern aristocracy.

In Alexander's view, although her methods were a little too simple and crude, they were not without merit.

Even if he was to sum it up, Alexander felt that Isabella's methods, although primitive, seemed to have traces of macro-control.

In this regard, Alexander actually admired Isabella's foresight, but limited to today's knowledge, she turned a measure that could have been done better into bad government.

This, of course, caused dissatisfaction among the merchants, especially those chambers of commerce who had close ties with the South, and could be said to have a deep hatred for the Southern Tax.

So when they heard that the mayor had taken office and the southern tax had been abolished immediately, the merchants of Madrid could not help but cheer, and after shouting "Long live the mayor, some clever and well-informed people soon began to shout the slogan "Long live the Duke".

And Alexander, who heard the cheers outside, was reading the letter from the messenger.

"I knew that the future was very difficult, that it would be dangerous to march in a hostile country, that we did not know that the hostile faces of the people on the side of the road would suddenly attack us, and that we would not be adequately supplied without strong measures, so I ordered some rough and even brutal measures to ensure that our army could march quickly north."

Alexander looked at it and nodded slightly, it was difficult to find a truly disciplined army in this era, or the circumstances simply did not allow for the existence of such an army.

Proper looting and plundering of booty was one of the most effective means of maintaining the fighting capacity of the army, and honour and faith, as well as loyalty to the king and devotion to the country, were now only a hope of long-term cultivation and indoctrination, even in the armies of Rome and Sicily, with a view to playing an important role in the future.

So Zhosa doesn't feel much guilt when she describes the barbaric actions of her army, or that all she cares about is what Alexander thinks of it.

After all, Alexander was the future king of Castile, so whether it was public or private, Josha had to get his forgiveness.

"Our army is advancing north, and the knights of Don de Kgliar have agreed to my suggestion, and we have formed a vanguard to rush to Toledo to support you first, both to ensure your safety and to let more Castilians know that this is a war of their own."

Seeing this, Alexander nodded again, he couldn't help but admit that Jisha was indeed not only the most stubborn sister, but also his best helper, she could always give him the greatest help in many places, and even if she was not by his side, she would play an important role that others could not play.

The letter was very long, and the front was a long paragraph of government affairs and military affairs, which might be put in a museum in the future for future historians to study and admire, but the latter part is difficult to have such treatment.

Alexander read the previous content carefully, and smiled after reading the love words that his sister wrote to him that only two people can confide in each other, and finally came to the conclusion again that he really has a sensible and caring sister.

When Don Bandraz, who was acting as a temporary guide, walked into the office with two military men, they saw Alexander standing on the balcony looking out at the city.

At this time, most of the balconies were just a small bulge protruding from the window, and few people would stand on it and look out for a long time.

But Alexander liked to stand on a high vantage point and look out at the city.

At this time, Madrid was not famous in the Adriatic Peninsula or in the whole of Europe, and the royal palace, known as the "Mother of Versailles", had no shadow, and the famous royal palace was the center, covering the entire city, not to mention the 7 rainbow avenues that eventually made Madrid the most prosperous city in Europe.

Today, Madrid is full of low, dilapidated houses, and the city is filthy and disorderly, and there is not even a decent brick and stone to be found on many streets.

If you have to find the buildings of the city that Madridians feel are still in their hands, it is the forts and aqueducts that have long been abandoned from the time of the Romans.

It was such a city that was not liked by one but would become the capital of Spain and one of the most important centers in Europe.

While secretly lamenting the foresight of Isabella and Ferdinand, Alexander also felt a great pressure.

The establishment of the capital of Madrid is inevitable in the future, and it would be unimaginable to make such a city a metropolis with a reputation in Europe.

In fact, from Isabella's planning to her great-grandson Philip I's official capital, the city has been expanding wildly for more than 70 years.

This is also one of the sources of the constant consumption of wealth from the New World.

Alexandria was not averse to the expansion of the city, and it is conceivable that a magnificent modern city with a combination of politics, economy, religion, culture, and education could have a great impact on a region or even a country.

London to England, Paris to France, Vienna to Austria and later Petersburg to Russia, these cities that rose one after another at that time could lead to the pride and prosperity of a country and even a nation.

As for the city-states of Italy, Alexander felt that they were beginning to lose their former glory.

This is not because the cities themselves are in decline, but because with the formation of absolute authority of monarchy one after another, the traditional Italian city-state is no longer suitable for the changing times.

A soft cough came from behind him, and Don Bandraz bowed slightly to Alexander, who turned to look at him.

Seeing the two servicemen behind the mayor, Alexander already knew who they were.

Alexander was still very satisfied with the arrival of this army.

Although he had made up his mind from the beginning that he would not fight Ferdinand unless he had to, Gonzalo did have fewer people, and even if he counted all the hunters and the defenders of Madrid, he would be at a disadvantage in the event of a confrontation with the army from Valaridode.

Alexander dared to enter Madrid alone because of Gonzalo, a general of great prestige, and the hostility of the Castilian towards Ferdinand, but he did not get carried away from thinking that he could go head-to-head with Ferdinand.

After all, that's the kind of person who killed Isabella.

Alexander had always wondered what kind of relationship that couple had, they had many children, but they were intrigued from the beginning, and if he had to find a representative of the couple who shared a bed and had different dreams, Isabella and Ferdinand would definitely be selected.

"I want you to keep a close eye on what is happening in the direction of Barriaridud, and not to act rashly if anything happens, remembering that your task is only to make sure that Barriaride's army does not suddenly appear outside Madrid, and we do not know anything about it."

Alexander's orders were concise and straightforward, which was how he always dealt with his generals.

If it was Oflair, he would have carefully identified every goal that needed to be accomplished, so that the chief of staff would only need to follow the steps to achieve near-perfection.

If it's Gompati, he'll just arrange a general direction and let that person do whatever he wants.

As for the others, Alexander would tell them what they needed to do, like the two officers in front of him, because he didn't know them, and he would not give them the results they needed as Oflaiyi did, nor would he let them do as they were, as Gompati did, but he would tell them exactly what to do and what not to do, so that even if something happened to him, he would know immediately what was wrong.

Watching the two generals say goodbye and leave, Don Bandraz, who had stayed behind, accompanied Alexander out of the corridor.

He noticed that the Balkan man was far away, which made the mayor realize that the Duke might have something more secretive to talk to him.

"Mayor, I need you to arrange a quieter place where no one disturbs, but not so that the people sitting in it feel like they are imprisoned."

Don Banderaz was slightly surprised, he felt that this request was a bit too private, at least he thought that he had not yet reached the point where he could be so trusted by the Duke, but the Duke would arrange such an errand for him, and of course it would be a good opportunity for him.

"Now can I know what kind of identity the people who are going to live in it, I mean I just need to know in general what kind of treatment should be given."

Alexander glanced at Don Bandraz, thought for a moment, and then replied slowly: "The Supreme Position, at least for now, the Supreme Position. ”

Don Banderaz paused for a moment, and when he saw that the Duke continued to walk forward without stopping, he hurried two quick steps to follow.

He didn't know if one of the thoughts that had just crossed his mind was ridiculous, but it was too late for him to continue guessing.

He was secretly surprised by what might happen as he pondered how to accomplish Alexander's task.

There was a low conversation, and Don Bandraz looked into the distance and saw a stranger talking to the Balkan guard.

Then the Balkans hurried in.

Don Bandraz bowed with interest, he knew that there were many things that the Duke should not know yet, but today he was very satisfied, and as for the guests that Alexander said he was going to arrange, although he already had some vague ideas in his heart, but he felt that it seemed unlikely.

"Sir, the man said he was from Barriaridod," Schell glanced at the man who looked a little agitated in the distance, "The guards have searched him, do you want to see him?" ”

"Barriarides?"

Alexander's heart thumped, even if he had not been so nervous in the face of all kinds of dangers and changes before, he felt his heart suddenly tighten at this moment.

He secretly laughed at himself in his heart, but he still couldn't hold his breath, but thinking about the news that that person might bring, he couldn't help but feel nervous in his heart.

Seeing that Sher beckoned, the man who had been waiting impatiently immediately walked quickly, and before he could make a brief bow to Alexander, he immediately straightened up and hurriedly said, "My lord, I have come to you on the orders of those who remained in Vallaridot. ”

Alexander glanced at the man with some surprise, and although he felt that something was wrong, he still asked, "You were not sent by Pastor Tongo Mada?" ”

"I'm sorry my lord, but I was sent by one of our brothers who stayed in the Barriaride," the man lowered his voice after a hurried explanation, and reported in a somewhat panicked and even confused manner, "Pastor Tongomada and the other two people who escaped from the Barriarides with him, they are both missing. ”

Hearing this, Alexander couldn't help but be stunned for a moment because of his surprise.