Livorno, about 60 fats from Rome, is a fishing village and may be a little busier than other places, but it is a little smaller as a port.

As one of the unique natural harbors on the east coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Livorno, which was supposed to be a shining pearl on the east coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea like Pisa, has been favored by many people since a long time, but it is strange that it has always been just an insignificant fishing village, and no one has ever been willing to take advantage of the superior conditions here to build a port.

The reason for this is because of Livorno's unique ownership.

As early as 1277, Pope Nicholas III established a well-known rule of prayer for the high clergy, in which the then priest of Livorno offered to allow Livorno to be allowed to pilot this rule.

Whether out of piety or for the sake of patting the pope, the Church in Livorno at that time acted cautiously according to the rules of the daily service prescribed by Nicholas III, and its rigor even exceeded the observance of Benedict's canon.

This seriousness of the Church of Livorno was naturally greatly appreciated by the Pope, who, having granted Livorno the grace of being free to receive communion and only having to make a formal request to Rome every year, suddenly made a request that surprised everyone, even the Pope.

The priest demanded that Livorno be consecrated directly to the papacy, and not to be ruled by secular powers.

Nicholas III was so impressed by this kind of piety that he did not hesitate to accede to this plea, which was clearly beneficial to the strength and prestige of the Church.

In 1280, the last year of the reign of Pope Nicholas III, Livorno officially became a papal domain, and it was from then on that the status of this promising seaside fishing village began to become awkward.

From then on, the locals of Livorno were no longer required to pay taxes to any secular ruler except for tithes to the Holy See, which at first made the locals ecstatic, and the wisdom of the priest of Livorno was appreciated, and he was considered to have done a great good for the locality.

But soon the people of Livorno found that things were not quite right, and that while the taxes were reduced, the rulers seemed to have completely abandoned the place, and no one was willing to build a port anymore, and no one was willing to worry about the safety and well-being of the place, except for the priests sent by the Holy See and the bishops who were later stationed for the promotion of the diocese, Livorno was certainly free from the harassment of the nobles, but also without the atmosphere of prosperity in other places.

The bishops were equally money-loving, but they did not go about building a port, and the people of Livorno could only watch the mixing of Pisa, not far away, and the ports of Genoa or Naples farther away, while they remained a large and inconspicuous fishing village.

However, Livorno also has its own advantages, that is, it is the main road leading to or containing Rome and Pisa, and if you want to travel between the two places by land, then Livorno cannot be bypassed, otherwise you will have to take a long detour, and you will have to pass through Florence.

No one thought that just when people thought that Caesar would march to Pisa, Alexander actually took the initiative to attack, and his first target was actually Livorna, the territory of the Holy See.

This action just curbed Caesar's ambition to annex Pisa!

If Caesar had insisted on going his way, he would have to run the risk of being cut off from the flanks by Alexander, and he would then be in the dilemma of being caught between the city of Pisa and Alexander.

Caesar was eager to take risks!

He was convinced that as long as his army could reach the city of Pisa, the Pisians would open the gates without resistance, and as for that Tomneo, he had secretly sent someone to contact him, promising him that if he gave up the city, he would guarantee the safety of his family and all his possessions.

What courage and boldness could a down-and-out nobleman who had been treated as a puppet have, Caesar believed that Tomneo should be hiding in his palace by now, trembling, so that if his army reached Pisa, there would be no resistance to receiving the city.

At that point, it will be Alexander who is really in a dilemma.

However, in order to accomplish this idea, it was necessary to pass between Livorno and a hilly terrain that was difficult to march through, a small corridor less than 2 fats wide, and if it did not pass through it, it would be necessary to pass through Florence through the hills.

Caesar did not want to provoke Florence, because, according to some reliable sources, he had heard that the Florentine army seemed to have received some help from outside not long ago.

The previous wave of dumping in Florence seems to have calmed down, and it is not clear what the impact of this storm will be on Florence, but at least the Florentine army seems to have benefited from the storm.

A shipment of equally cheap weapons followed the dumping hordes into Florence, and it was clear that the merchants didn't care what they were selling, as long as they could make money.

As a result, the Florentine army today is much better equipped with weapons than it had been dwarfed by before, and this is probably the only benefit that Florence has gained from this dumping wave.

Because of this, Caesar did not want to touch the obnoxious fellow of Savonarola, and he remembered his father's warning that he might not need an army to conquer Florence.

However, the only way to avoid Alexander was to no longer work, and Caesar knew that it would not only be unrealistic, but also too dangerous, to go directly to Pisa from further afield.

First of all, he could not risk tearing up the agreement he had just signed with the Venetians and leading his troops into Romagna alone, and more importantly, even if the Venetians did not pursue the matter, he could not tolerate exposing his back completely in front of Montina, who was located just south of Romagna.

If that were the case, Caesar believed that Alexander might really have the ambition to eat him in one fell swoop.

As for taking advantage of the situation to take Montina, Caesar still had the self-knowledge to skip this unrealistic idea.

He knew very well that if he did so, not to mention whether he would be able to take the castle, which was said to be exceptionally strong, the anger from the family of della Rovere would probably turn the newly calm Rome into turmoil.

Before he turned into a lion capable of eating all his prey, Caesar believed that being a cunning and fickle fox would help him achieve his goals.

So a few days later, Caesar gladly led his troops all the way outside Livorno.

Standing on a low hill not far to the east, looking at the large fishing village below the hillside, Caesar took a flask from the hand of Cadron next to him and took a sip of it.

"Do you think he's going to come out?" Caesar asked the officers next to him.

"That's not a good idea," said an officer, looking at the peaceful-looking fishing village, "and it is said that this Cambrai did not care much about honor, and during the battle in the village of Oral, he almost always hid in the village and refused to come out to fight the Milanese, and later relied on the attack of Cargino of Genoa against the Venetians to save himself. ”

"If he is willing to come out of the village, we are sure that it will only take one charge to defeat his peasants," said another officer confidently, "I have inquired that his soldiers are not real soldiers, and that they were peasants before, and that a large number of them have only been laid down for a long time, except for a few who have been trained." ”

"But he has a group of Bohemian cavalry under his command, and they are very strong, and they are especially good at quick raids."

Caesar did not take the enemy lightly because of the optimism of his men, he had never led troops before, but he had seen how Giovanni commanded the army, which also taught him a lot of things, one of the most important of which was not to underestimate the enemy.

"My lord, that's why we're setting up positions here," the officer smiled and looked around, "The terrain here makes it impossible for his cavalry to move quickly, and a cavalry that loses speed is almost wasted. ”

Caesar nodded with satisfaction, he felt that his officers were still very reassuring to him, the deep impression of the Bohemians who came and went like the wind had always been Caesar's biggest scruple about Alexander, and now since even the other party's advantage can be effectively restrained, Caesar believes that with his own more troops than the other party, even if Alexander frantically gives up the defense of Montina and brings him all out, Caesar is sure to teach the arrogant Neapolitan a hard lesson.

Maybe I should have grabbed him and put a rope around his neck, and then dragged it all the way to Pisa, and then Lucrezia would realize that this man was not worthy of her love.

As for the bastard, thinking of this Caesar frowned with a little disgust, he had already made plans, whether it was a man or a woman, the convent should be the best place for that child.

Maybe one day the boy will become a great abbot, and that would be an explanation for his unfortunate father.

Caesar thought maliciously in his heart, and he felt that it was not difficult to realize this idea now.

A peculiar sound of trumpets came from the village, but it was a bit far away, and the sound of the trumpets alone must not have been heard, so Caesar soon noticed that it seemed to be a group of trumpeters blowing their trumpets at the same time.

The tune of the horn is peculiar, not the simple long and short notes that people are familiar with, but the tune with a certain undulating beat.

Accompanied by this tune, Caesar was surprised to find an army slowly but strangely appearing from the village.

The reason why it is strange is that neither he nor his officers have ever seen an army marching like this.

Although they also appeared in familiar formations, the armies moved forward slowly but surely like a group of puppets pulled by a thread.

Their steps were in unison, their shoulders swaying in unison, and even the feathers on their helmets seemed to be in the same direction as they fluttered.

When they gathered in the open space outside the village from different parts of the village, they did not gather together in the same chaotic and noisy manner as the other armies, and then they had to be rearranged by the officers who had to be re-ordered and even whipped and driven away, they were so silent, like inanimate mechanical parts.

It wasn't until the spearmen at the front set their sharp spears up diagonally that Caesar seemed to see a familiar shadow in them.

"What's going on?"

Caesar asked the person next to him a little strangely, he felt that the military knowledge he had learned many years ago seemed to be a little insufficient, and the strange behavior of the army in front of him made him feel indescribably uncomfortable in his heart.

An officer's eyes narrowed slightly, in fact, he also felt that the appearance of this army looked a little unspeakably strange.

Too neat, too silent, as if every movement of these soldiers was just doing a matter of course, so simple and natural that they didn't need to think about what to do, let alone why.

It's a really unpleasant feeling, as if you're facing a completely lifeless army.

"My lord, I believe that the Count of Montina is bluffing, he wants to delay time with this strange act," the officer licked his lips a little dry, which should have been a little cold in late autumn, but made him feel an inexplicable heat, "We just need to wait for his men to cross the open field, please believe that our archers have enough arrows to expose those bluffing fellows." ”

Caesar nodded, he still trusted his men, some of whom had followed Giovanni and had been rewarded, which made Caesar trust their abilities.

The opposing army was still in unhurried formation, and seeing that they still maintained that uncomfortable uniformity even on the uneven open ground, Caesar's army couldn't help but cause a slight commotion.

"Those people, what are they doing?" A slightly younger mercenary asked the old man next to him, "It looks so strange." ”

"They ......" The veteran ruffians who originally wanted to explain were also a little baffled, "Who knows what the hell they are doing, it makes people uncomfortable to watch." ”

"Haven't you always boasted that you are well-informed, haven't you ever seen such a thing?"

"Shut up, you little chick, you still have a lot to learn" The ruffian looked very unhappy because he felt that his authority had been provoked, but then he still knocked the crooked hat and helmet on the young man's head hard, "Listen to the fight for a while, your eyes are alive, these guys look a little evil, don't be stupid to send them to death, understand, I promised your family to take care of you." ”

The young mercenary nodded, and stood on tiptoe to look across the shoulders of the man in front of him.

By this time the "strange army" was in full formation, but they did not advance as Caesar had hoped, but stood there calmly, silently facing Caesar's army across the open field.

Caesar frowned, the reason why he had placed his army on the low hill was to occupy the condescending vantage terrain, and to try to take advantage of the sharp momentum of the first confrontation to crush Alexander's army.

But now it seems clear that Alexander did not want to attack him on his own initiative, and Caesar had to recover Livorno, for neither for the purpose of the march on Pisa nor for the special status of Livorno as a papal territory, he could not allow Alexander to occupy it.

Even if Livoro is just a humble fishing village.

"Order our troops to go down from the hills," Caesar finally ordered, and then he reluctantly added, "Remind the brigades to be careful, this Gombray seems a little strange." ”

The officers who had wanted to stop it hesitated a little but nodded their heads to obey the order, knowing that Livora must be recovered, and it was not Caesar, but Pope Alexander VI's order.

Alexander VI was not outraged by Alexander's sudden invasion of Livorno, but it is said that in private the Pope was very uneducated and yelled at his private secretary, "That little bastard!" ”

In Rome, when news of Alexander's invasion of Livorno spread, many people were surprised and overly excited.

As for the departure from Rome Gonzalo, he openly said to his friend without any scruples: "That Gombray is simply giving the father and son some color." ”

Obviously, Alexander knew very well that as the titular commander of the Papal army, he could not ignore the loss of Livorno, so he dared to boldly give up Pisa, and even Lucrezia stayed there, which was what really annoyed Caesar.

Caesar may not have known this saying, but he had to do it according to this principle.

"Montina's army was well-disciplined and incredibly enduring, they marched silently, walked a dozen fats a day without complaining, and when they began to line up, a hypnotic music would sound, and then the army began to spread out their formation in a tacit understanding, which was impressive, even intimidating. It must be admitted that these soldiers from the territory of Count Agri were more responsible and disciplined than the salaried mercenaries. ”

A Florentine envoy stood on the roof of a relatively high house in the village, carefully observing and recording everything he saw in his diary.

"I can't say whether this unique training is more advantageous in battle, for no one has ever done it before, but the Count of Montina clearly had great confidence in his army, for he even gave up the defense of Pisa and concentrated his forces in Livorno, apparently believing that he was sure that he would defeat his beloved brother's brother in the open fields of Livorno."

Just as Machiavelli was trying to record everything he saw in every detail as valuable information for the future establishment of the Florentine National Army, a trumpet sounded from the open ground even louder than before.

Machiavelli immediately looked up, and he saw a group of cavalrymen in half-breastplates speeding through the gap between the ranks.

The cavalry was apparently divided into two distinct sections, with the exception of the huntsmen, who Machiavelli was already familiar with, and the others consisted of a slightly strangely dressed group of Bohemian cavalry.

The presence of the hunters also caught Caesar's attention, and his gaze followed the soldiers, trying to spot Alexander's whereabouts.

An officer seemed to see an opportunity, and he pointed to the moving hunters and said to Caesar, "My lord, if this guard of the earl goes forward, perhaps we can send troops to surround his cavalry quickly. My lord, I can guarantee that we will be able to surround the Count in a short time, and the peasants will collapse at once. ”

Caesar's heart was stirred by this suggestion, and he believed that if he were besieged or captured, these well-trained mercenaries would also be shaken, and he did not believe that the peasants who had just entered the battlefield could be more determined than these professional mercenaries.

"Are you sure you'll be able to quickly surround the guards of Cambrai?"

Caesar's heart was slightly excited, if he was lucky, maybe he didn't need a negotiation at all to win.

"Those Montina troops are a little strange, but they seem to be slow," the officer carefully observed the enemy on the other side, "as long as the count's cavalry continues to advance, I am sure that I will surround him before they notice danger." ”

"Go for it."

Caesar stroked the hilt of his sword, and there was a hint of excitement in his voice that he didn't even notice.

Unconsciously, Alexander was no longer the little man he saw as a pawn, but instead Caesar felt threatened by him.

Caesar's army began to move, and a cavalry quickly advanced north along the line under the cover of the front ranks and high and low hills.

Before they could make their moves, the leading officer had noticed a thick bush to the north, which was a good place for them to make final preparations before the charge.

And since the coast was slightly rugged farther away, the officer was sure that Montina's army would never have expected an enemy to attack them from the side close to the coast.

As the man said to Caesar, if he was given the opportunity, he could completely surround the unprepared hunters in a very short time.

The Montina cavalry on the opposite side was slowing down, and Caesar's heart couldn't help but lift slightly, he never thought that one day he would be so nervous about a conspiracy, especially when he saw that the hunters at the front were pulling the reins and seemed to be about to turn around, Caesar's fingers clenching the hilt of his sword were already white.

At the same time, he prayed to God in his heart that God would not take away the victory he was about to hold.

Perhaps God heard Caesar's pleading, and the hunters began to spread out along the road ahead.

Caesar's gaze quickly skimmed over the cavalry to the north of the left flank of Montina's army, and when he saw that the left flank of Montina was still calm in the direction of the coast, Caesar exhaled hard.

"If Cambrai is captured," Caesar whispered to Caderon, "I don't want to see him return to Rome, understand?" ”

Cadron's face changed slightly, he knew what Caesar meant.

Then, the squire nodded.

Caesar looked at the Montina army on the other side, and he noticed nothing unusual, when the rumbling of hooves striking the ground suddenly sounded from behind the low hills.

Smoke filled the sky, Caesar's cavalry leaped out from behind the mound and rushed down the gentle downward slope, from the flanks towards the gap between the hunters and Montina's infantry!

"Forward!"

Caesar's order was given almost simultaneously as the mount rushed forward, and he knew that the time was short, but he was sure that he could surround Alexander as long as the cavalry separated him from the army behind him for a short time.

At that time, the Montina army, which has lost its commander, will be defeated!

Caesar did not hesitate to rush to the front, he wanted to prove with his bravery and courage that he could replace Giovanni and become the successor of the Borgia dynasty.

The cavalry on the opposite side seemed to be a little confused by the sudden attack, and Caesar saw that many of them were drawing their weapons.

Caesar let out a cry, his heavy tapered sword raised forward, ready to stab at the first enemy in his face.

Looking at the huntsmen who had lost the opportunity to accelerate the recoil because they had slowed down, Caesar had already seen the shadow of victory.

The hunters on the opposite side had already raised their weapons, watching their movements, Caesar's heart suddenly trembled, he understood what that action meant, it was definitely not the posture of hand-to-hand combat.

The distance of dozens of yards between the two sides suddenly made Caesar's heart beat at this moment, and he let out a cry without even thinking about it: "Rush forward!" ”

With this shout, Caesar frantically clamped the horse's belly, desperately trying to cross this short distance!

At this moment, the fierce musket rang out, and Caesar, who was rushing forward, suddenly felt as if he had been punched head-on by an invisible giant, and his body fell backwards.

Caesar let out a groan of pain as he slammed to the ground, with the thump of his back and the sharp pain in his chest.

Suddenly, an even more violent and chilling burst of gunfire rang out from afar.

Caesar could vaguely tell that it was the sound of gunfire coming from farther behind the cavalry on the opposite side.

And in that direction, it should be the infantry phalanx of the Agri.

Caesar tried to stand up, but a fishy smell suddenly came from his throat, and Caesar immediately fainted.