Zaragoza has long been known as the place where the four rivers meet, and it may seem like a fertile place with lush vegetation and abundant water.

But since the city was founded, Zaragoza has been plagued by increasing desertification and has struggled to get more water.

Even during the Moorish rule, the rulers of the time had to pay a large annual water tax to Castile upstream because of the lack of water.

Zaragoza is a very peculiar place, where the rivers are crisscrossed, but there is a great imbalance of water and soil, on the one hand, the Ebro River floods every year because it carries away a large amount of sediment and causes the river to change direction, and on the other hand, the land is dried up, because the underground water storage environment is destroyed and there is a terrible situation of large-scale drought every year.

In addition to the city of Zaragoza, this worrying situation is also present throughout the Zaragoza plain, and even worse, it is evident from the various remnants of the hydrological record that have been left over the years that it is becoming more and more intense.

Ferdinand could not tolerate the possibility that coalition forces might take control of the reservoirs of the upper Ebro River, which would threaten the entire Saraguesa region.

If the enemy had been more insane, perhaps the brother and sister would have been able to completely destroy the upstream reservoir, and Zaragoza might have really faced a terrible fate.

What worries Ferdinand even more is that the reservoir in the upper reaches of Zaragoza is located in a rather ambiguous part of the border between the two countries, and in a time when such border demarcations are not obvious, disputes often arise over the reasons why it is impossible to say what belongs to some places.

Ferdinand feared that this might be a conspiracy on the part of the siblings, and that even if the war with Aragonese did not break out completely, they could use this march to take possession of the area, and then they would take control of the only reservoir in the upper reaches of the Ebro River that was controlled by the Aragonese.

And once the scale of the war grows, that reservoir is a sword hanging over Zaragoza's head that can be cut down at any time.

One of the most uncomfortable situations for participants in the war is that the initiative has been grasped by the enemy, and they have to follow the opponent's arrangement step by step according to the enemy's plan in advance.

This will give people a sense of helplessness that they are being led by the nose.

That's how Ferdinand feels now.

He knew he couldn't afford not to fight, even if he wasn't ready to start a war, but it wasn't up to him.

Even he couldn't choose a battlefield that was more favorable to himself.

In addition to this, what annoyed Ferdinand even more was that it was Gonzalo who commanded this army.

The love for this Isabella will be, in some ways, even more familiar to Ferdinand than Isabella.

Isabella loved Gonzalo's bravery and loyalty, and even his unruliness was seen as a charisma for his character.

But Ferdinand knew better that beneath Gonzalo's seemingly rude exterior was too much to hide.

Gonzalo de Córdoba may not have been a qualified court conspirator, but he was a very clever soldier.

He knew very well what role he was supposed to play, he was a big soldier in front of Isabella, and he was an unruly ** when dealing with Ferdinand.

Now that he was working for Alexander, Ferdinand had the feeling that Gonzalo was starting to play a whole new role.

Gonzalo was an old man, and his command prowess could not be ignored because of his crushing defeat in Seville, which was why Ferdinand was bitter when he gave the order to attack.

There is nothing more painful than being arranged by the enemy, it is like knowing that there is a trap in front of you, but still closing your eyes and rushing forward.

If he didn't know anything about it, he might not be too sorry if he failed, but knowing that the enemy was already in position waiting for him to throw himself into the net, he had to go head-on, which made Ferdinand feel like a flying insect stuck in cobwebs, and he could only struggle in vain.

The small number of coalition forces that had crossed the Moncayo Mountains seemed like an opportunity, and it would be a great encouragement for the disadvantaged Aragorn to be able to destroy the vanguard before the enemy forces arrived.

Ferdinand and his generals, however, were cautious about this choice.

Located between the Douro and Ebro rivers, Montcayo is the highest mountain on the border between the two countries and is a tributary of the eastern Pyrenees.

Despite the distance from the Pyrenees, the southern branch of the mountain range still forms an intermittent and towering mountain landscape.

The roads between the two countries are connected by valleys and previously dry rivers in the middle of these broken mountains.

Such valley passes were ubiquitous throughout the Moncayo Mountains, causing great problems for the Aragonese who were trying to stop the allied attack.

They did not know from which side the main coalition forces would cross the mountains of Moncayo, and the vanguard of the coalition forces that had already entered Aragonese territory became their henchmen.

Ferdinand's generals advised him not to divide his forces lightly for the sake of safety, for this was probably what his enemies wanted him to do.

Ferdinand was in favor of this suggestion, knowing that he was not good at military affairs, so he simply gave command to his generals.

His only demand was to keep the reservoirs of the upper Ebro and not to allow the Castilians to gain a foothold there.

Ferdinand's determination was great, and he had no compromise on this matter, although in the eyes of his generals he was undoubtedly playing into the enemy's trap, but for Ferdinand, the generals only saw victory and defeat on the battlefield, and he thought about the future survival of Aragorn.

Even if he lost the war, Ferdinand had to ensure that the entire country of Aragon was not threatened in the future, and the reservoirs of the upper Ebro became the most important link in the war.

The aristocrats of Aragon were apparently aware that they were facing a difficult war, and the nobles who had been blaming each other began to do their best to organize their armies, while the procrastinating courtiers of the court had to brace themselves to raise vehicles and levy supplies for the upcoming army, and the entire Aragonese court finally moved.

"This is a battle of life and death, our ancestors fought against the Moors for centuries, so we will not compromise on how many people will be sacrificed and how many generations will last," Ferdinand said to his ministers in a declaration of war on the coalition forces. ”

Ferdinand's speech was not without passion, which somewhat invigorated the generals who were originally pessimistic about the situation of the battle.

And for the nobles who didn't know the situation, it was still a long war as before.

So they were ready to spend the long years after this war.

"It's not going to be a long war."

In the royal palace of Barriariddod, Jossa once again donned her gorgeous and dazzling armor.

The queen's attire, which the Sicilian people had become accustomed to, was refreshing to the Castilian ministers, and at the same time, it was also a clear sense of the Sicilian queen's determination to fight.

This surprised them secretly, and even some of them looked at the brother and sister strangely.

The nobles of Barriaridud could not have imagined how the brother and sister could be so interested in war, and the elder brother and sister were even more fanatical.

And Jisha's words also made them feel incredible.

Many people were adamantly opposed to waging war at this time, and their reasons were very good, and it was unjustifiable to start a war against another kingdom before the king's coronation.

Challenging Aragon as not as king may give Ferdinand enough excuse to take a moral advantage, so even if there is a battle, it should be after the coronation.

Moreover, some people thought that the war had been started so hastily that even many Castilians could never have imagined that it would come so suddenly.

"My lords, I assure you that what you are seeing will be a way of war that you have never seen before," Jossa glanced at the Castilians, "our army will not last long with the enemy, let alone allow the enemy to drag the war into a long winter, it is not the most important thing for us to occupy the city, we want Ferdinand's compromise. ”

The Castilians were taken by surprise by her words, who did not know where the queen got the confidence that the war would come to a quick conclusion, and how she could ensure that Ferdinand would accept their terms.

However, Gonzalo's letter from the front gave them some clues.

The actions of the combined Castilian and Sicilian forces on the border between the two countries were rapid, or rather, the Sicilians became the main force of the attack.

In his letters, Gonzalo more than once lamented the astonishing efficiency of the Sicilian army, which gave him the confidence to end the war as soon as possible.

"It is our purpose to establish a clear goal, start a war, and then quickly end it when this war drags us into a quagmire from which we cannot escape," Alexander replied to confirming Gonzalo's judgment. ”

In her reply to Gonzalo, she wrote: "Dear General, I am glad that you have understood our intentions so quickly, and I am confident in your superior command skills, and your defeat in Seville is unfair, because you are dealing with an army that has never been seen before in this world, and now that you are their commander, I am confident that with your talents you will be able to make them play a greater role......"

“…… In addition, General, after my observations, I think it necessary to suggest that the training of Sicily and Castile is very different, which will lead to a situation of poor coordination between the two sides on the battlefield, so I suggest that you organize as soon as possible a mixed force to be shared by the soldiers of both sides as a link between the two sides, so that the two armies can be combined more effectively......"

When Josha showed the reply to Alexander, Alexander had to admit that his sister was indeed a natural king.

Gonzalo de Córdoba was a proud man, who dared to denounce the pope in public, and would not hesitate to ridicule a king as "the monarch of a small country".

Such an unruly man was inherently unpopular with monarchs, and Isabella's affection for him was a sheer anomaly.

Josa is not Isabella, and would never try to gain Gonzalo's allegiance and approval in that completely pampered way.

She was the queen of Sicily, an army commander, and more importantly, Gonzalo was once her defeated general.

She didn't need to condescend to gain the favor of a general as a queen, but generously displayed the secrets of her army in front of him as a victor.

While paying tribute to the brilliant general, she also wanted Gonzalo to know how he had failed.

At the same time, she also wants to show the unruly man that even if he has an equally well-trained army, then she can defeat him without any suspense!

For someone like Gonzalo de Córdoba, it is clear that blindly encompassing him will not be approved by him.

Ferdinand did so, but he did so at his own reprieve.

Now, as a victor, he is showing him goodwill, but also showing a tough attitude and superior military talent that can defeat him on the battlefield.

"You're so cute, my sister."

Looking at the letter, Alexander couldn't help but bow his head and kiss him on the forehead.

Then he heard a heavy cough from the waitress standing at the door.

Alexander shrugged helplessly at the courtier, for since the lady-in-waiting had entered the palace, he could no longer take the Queen of Sicily so easily to the house where they had a tryst.

This made Alexander wonder if he should suggest that he should change to a personal officer, but it was obviously more inappropriate to think about it.

After all, now that the waitress is already their "accomplice", it is not easy to find such a trustworthy person.

Jossa stood up and winked mischievously at Alexander, knowing that the female officer had been trying to defend her "honor", and had reminded her more than once of how dangerous a relationship with her brother was.

And as the identities of the two changed, it became clear that it would become more and more difficult to maintain this secret.

Just think about the future one day if she is really pregnant, but she can't explain who the father of the child is, then someone with a heart can speculate the possibility of getting close to the truth as long as they pay a little attention.

After all, as monarchs, they can't be together all the time, so if she suddenly announces her pregnancy shortly after her meeting with Alexander, even the most stupid people may not think of a possibility.

Isn't it time to consider finding a husband?

Jisha thought about it, and then decided to dismiss this idea for the time being.

Alexander has a strong desire for exclusivity, which is clearly felt by Josha.

This made her both happy and a little annoyed.

With the consolidation of the position of the Susa, even some Sicilian nobles who had originally taken a wait-and-see attitude have begun to consider the serious issue of the succession of the kingdom.

Therefore, having an heir as soon as possible has become a priority in front of Jisha.

Among them, the Sicilians who had chosen to pledge their allegiance to her early on were the most anxious.

If she were an ordinary queen, she might not be so uneasy to make people so worried, but her frequent presence on the battlefield makes people have to worry about possible accidents.

If something happens to the queen and she doesn't have an heir of her own, who will inherit the Kingdom of Sicily?

This question has been discussed privately more than once, and the conclusions reached have also made many Sicilians secretly worried.

As the queen's half-brother, the soon-to-be-crowned King Alexander was the obvious first choice, but as the former king of Sicily, Ferdinand was clearly more qualified to claim back the rights that belonged to him.

And for today's Sicilians, neither choice is what they want to see.

Thus, shortly after entering the Barriaridud, some of the Sicilian aristocratic generals who followed him began to look for a husband they thought was suitable.

Although the coronation was so rushed that many European courts were unable to send people to attend the ceremony, the Iberian nobility gathered in Barrialydod.

Some of these former royal descendants have become sought-after candidates.

The lady-in-waiting became a target of competition among the Sicilian aristocracy, who wanted her to have more opportunities for the people she supported in front of the queen.

Naturally, the Sicilian's actions did not hide from Alexander's eyes, and finally, during a rare time when the two were alone, Alexander took the initiative to bring up this topic that both of them had deliberately avoided before.

"Maybe I should find a man who won't worry you, a eunuch?"

Jisha asked a little mischievously, at this time, the Queen of Sicily was just a girl who was complacent because of her lover's jealousy.

"Then I must make sure for myself that he is indeed a eunuch." Alexander said deliberately viciously, and then he frowned slightly and said to himself, "But this is really something that we should all care about, and I can't wait to have one of our children now." ”

"So that's why you're in a hurry to start a war against Aragon?" Qi Sha suddenly asked seriously.

Hearing Josha's inquiry, Alexander couldn't help but kiss her forehead dotingly.

"My sister, you really are the person who knows me best in the world."

If in the end it is not possible to gag everyone, then the only way is to create a situation in one's favor.

To do this, it is necessary to defeat Aragorn.

When the autumn winds of October turned the maple trees in the city of Barriedud red, news of the war on the front line also came.

Gonzalo had already reached the front camp, and at the same time the allied forces had been ordered to attack Aragonese first, as Josa had envisioned, while the Castilians were temporarily assembled at the pass of Moncayo, ready to invade Aragon.

When the news came, Barrialidod caused a stir at first, and then it dawned on the people.

While many thought that perhaps the coalition forces were just beginning to march towards the border, the Sicilians had already crossed the Moncayo hills.

The Castilians, on the other hand, marched towards Aragon.

In addition, Gonzalo, who was supposed to be in Madrid, was able to rush to the front line to take over the army so quickly.

All this says only one thing, before entering the Barriarides, Alexander had already made up his mind to go to war against Aragon!

This is the only way to explain why the coalition forces were able to complete the offensive deployment of Aragon so quickly.

At this time, while amazed by Alexander's astonishing ambition, someone remembered what Jisha had said earlier - "This will not be a long war." ”

At the beginning of October, Ulius came to Barriaridud with a letter from Alexander VI.

His arrival caused a small sensation, and the regent had already heard of him, and when they saw the Moors who had appeared publicly with Alexander for the first time, many of them had begun to wonder how to deal with him in the future.

Alexander VI's letter does not mention Geoffrey or the rest of the Borgia family, but takes a great interest in the Pole named Nicolaus Copernicus, whom Alexander recommended to him.

When he heard that this man was now in Montina, the Pope asked Alexander to make sure that the Copernicus was sent to Madrid.

"This is a man who may surprise us all, and I'm glad you found him, and perhaps one day this man can be the most powerful weapon in our hands, but it is better to keep him under the protection of you and me for now."

In his letter, the Pope did not hesitate to express his attention to the Pole named Copernicus, which made Alexander very pleased, and at the same time had to admit that although this old man was rotten in his private life, he did have an unusually keen eye.

If the army in his hands was a weapon for him to expand his territory in the secular world, then the University of Bologna was Alexander's sword in the spiritual world, and Nicolaus Copernicus was undoubtedly part of the sharp edge of this sword.

As for the deadly edge of this sharp sword, it was the manifesto of the swaggering theses he had prepared for Alexander VI.

"Now I don't care if my enemies are determined to strip me of the triple crown on my head, because I have decided to establish a faith in Madrid that is more in line with God's will, all because of your support, my child, and now my only wish is that you will allow me to return to the rose garden of Valencia."

Seeing this, Alexander chuckled softly, put the letter away, and then came out of the room and walked to the door of the room outside.

Seeing him, the officers who were talking loudly around the sand table in front of the table couldn't help but quiet down.

Jisha, who was looking at the sand table seriously, raised her head and smiled at Alexander.

"You've come just in time," Shosha tapped his staff on the sand table, "and we're ready." ”