In the El Padua Palace in Madrid, Alexander VI reads a letter.

The letter was written by someone who surprised him.

Giuliano della Roverre.

When he heard that the letter had been written by the elder Rovere, Alexander VI did not hide his surprise in the slightest.

But then he felt that he should have guessed the contents of the letter, thinking that old Rovere had already wanted to have a showdown with him, make certain promises, and then force him to abdicate voluntarily, and this letter was probably this kind of ultimatum.

This made Alexander VI a little angry, and he felt offended, but he tore open the wax seal to see what tricks old Rovere might have in his letter.

But what Alexander VI did not expect was that there was nothing in this letter about forcing him to abdicate, on the contrary, the elder Rovere was quite concerned about his family affairs, and it revealed a very subtle news that made Alexander VI almost furious.

"Jeffrey and Ferdinand colluded?"

Alexander VI felt as if he had been slapped in the face on his thin face, and the hot feeling even across the Mediterranean seemed to make him see the gloating smile of old Rovere in the letter.

Alexander VI did not think that the elder Rovere was sowing discord between him and Geoffrey, or that Geoffrey simply did not have the weight to let the future pope deal with it himself.

So all this is obviously true, but why the son he disliked the least would do such a thing is not something that Alexander VI could have imagined.

However, in the letter he noticed something very important, that is, Ferdinand seemed to have made some kind of promise to Geoffrey, although it was not known what was promised, but it was enough to make Geoffrey make such a stupid decision.

Thinking of Ferdinand's methods, Alexander VI couldn't help but be worried, he was not worried about Geoffrey, in fact he had always suspected that Geoffrey was the result of Vanessa's fornication, so that he had never liked Geoffrey.

But if Ferdinand used Jeffrey to hit him, it would be a good pawn.

So what would Ferdinand promise?

Alexander VI pondered this question, and at the same time he wondered what the old Rovere had revealed to him for all this.

Old Rovere couldn't have been so kind, so he must have asked for something.

Alexander VI gradually felt that he had understood the old Lovile's thoughts, and after some deliberation he took up his pen and began to write letters.

The Pope originally thought that the letter would not be difficult to write, but gradually he found it difficult to write.

This made him a little surprised at first, and then he couldn't help but sigh a little in his heart.

This letter was addressed to Alexander, and if it had been for him, he would have made his request naturally, and perhaps even deliberately assumed a commanding attitude in his dual capacity as pope and old man.

And Alexander seems to be willing to serve his father-in-law, at least he has done well before.

Even think about how Caesar caused all kinds of trouble to Alexander so many times, but as long as Lucrezia cried and pleaded in front of Alexander, he was always able to forgive his annoying brother-in-law more or less.

Even Alexander VI felt that if Caesar had met Alexander instead of Josha, he might have been able to hold on to his life.

It was this relationship, which connected the two through Lucrezia, that made Alexander VI feel that they were somewhat intimate.

But suddenly, Alexander VI found that he did not seem to know what attitude to use to write to his "son-in-law".

It was obviously not appropriate to use the tone of the command, and he could not pull his face to write the words of the request, and finally after pondering for a while, the Pope simply sealed the old Rovere's letter again, and then wrote his name on the envelope and handed it to the waiting retinue.

He believed that Alexander understood what he meant, and at least that would save him from the embarrassment of that awkward tone.

After all this, the Pope walked to the window and looked at the groves of oranges in the distance, which were scattered like gold, and Alexander VI let out a soft sigh that was almost inaudible.

Times had changed, and it was the first time he had felt the changes around him so clearly.

Perhaps because of his years of experience in the struggle for power, Alexander VI had a hunch that this change was not only due to a change in his personal situation, but also that the Vatican in Italy and the entire Christian world seemed to be at a crossroads that could determine the direction of the future.

Maybe abdication is a good option?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Alexander VI's mind that he had never had before, and then the thought was crushed by him.

The Borgias will not shrink from fear of the dangers of power.

The Borgia are masters of power and slaves.

This is the fate of all Borgias.

A cool breeze blew through the window, and in her sleep, she instinctively pulled the blanket on her body, her smooth and round shoulders moved slightly, and then her whole body squeezed into the warm embrace in front of her.

Alexander stretched out his fingers and slid them along the bridge of her tall nose, then lightly touched the tip of her nose.

Tsusha seemed to feel something, her brow furrowed, and a slight "hum" sound came out of her nose that seemed to be angry.

It was still dark, and the outlines of the houses outside could be faintly seen through the starlight.

It was a house not far from the royal palace, owned by Don Maclosbyne, Isabella's former private treasurer.

This house was originally a secret property in Don Maklosbyne's name, which meant that no one but himself knew about the existence of this place, and even his butler did not know that his master had such an estate outside.

Don Makrosbein didn't buy this property for the sake of merry, he liked the quietness of the place, and sometimes he needed something important when no one could disturb him.

It was here that he made the decision to join Alexander, when he had no one with him, not even the porter who had been hired to take care of the house.

However, when Alexander asked him to find him a secluded house for himself, Don Makrosbyne did not hesitate to recommend his own outhouse.

And he assured Alexander that "no one will disturb the peace and interest of His Highness."

Alexander was quite appreciative of the treasurer's ability to behave.

He simply accepted the treasurer's gift, and hinted to Don Makrosbyne that he might need to "do his part" in the future government.

Isabella's personal treasurer, the one who holds the key to the enormous wealth that Isabella once had.

It's not that he holds a treasure trove full of gold and jewelry, but that he's more familiar than anyone else with the whereabouts and context of Isabella's wealth, and it's more important to master this than to get a pile of gold.

And Alexander knew that Don Makrosbein was going to sell the goods with the help of the things in his hands, but Alexander didn't mind "buying" his goods at a price that everyone was happy with.

Jossa moved again, and Alexander looked down to see that she was awake.

"When?" She asked, and then sat up suddenly, ignoring the intoxicating whiteness that the blanket had slid off her body, so that even in the darkness she could still see, she still asked anxiously, "When?" ”

"It's still early, let's sleep a little longer."

Alexander put the blanket over her and gently put his arm on her shoulders to get her back down, but Josha didn't obey this time.

"It's almost dawn, I must leave immediately."

As she spoke, she got out of bed, fumbling in the dark with the clothes that had been thrown everywhere the night before, trying to put them on one by one, and soon she found that it was a task that was obviously too difficult for her, and she finally had to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You're like Cinderella who is about to regain her true face after 12 o'clock, but I don't know where your crystal slippers are hidden." Alexander smiled and gently hugged Jisha from behind, "Don't worry, no one knows this place." ”

"But we should be careful, knowing that there are no more than how many pairs of eyes are staring at us right now," she pulled what appeared to be a cloak and gently draped it over herself, she stood up and took a few steps forward before turning to look at Alexander, "You are about to become a king, and you should not be frustrated by something meaningless." ”

"It's not a pointless thing," Alexander said to Josha and asked her to come to him, "knowing how many people are waiting for you to have a child, it's too important to them, because it's too much for the future of too many people." ”

"But that's not a reason for you to keep me here," Shosha seemed a little angry, "I think even if I was found to be with a Moor, it would be much better than being seen with you." ”

Alexander shrugged helplessly, he knew that even the Queen of Sicily and the commander of the army would inevitably have a little emotion for some reason, and even how gentle he was before would be how unreasonable he would be now.

"Barondy is coming, isn't she?" Jisha suddenly asked, "You should have a legal heir, this is more urgent than me." ”

Alexander was silent for a moment, he knew that what he said was right, and as the succession ceremony approached, who would sit next to him became a matter of concern to countless people.

There have been countless examples of monarchs in history divorcing their original wives because they need to have a noble heir, but at this time, the vacant throne of the queen next to the king has become the target of countless people.

Just think about the status of the queen of Castile, and think that the courts of European countries will be very willing to see such a family member, and even if the conditions are right, even Maximian will not consider exchanging another daughter or niece for an alliance with Castile.

At this time, Barondi's identity is very embarrassing and even dangerous.

Even if the elder Rovere became the Pope, Barentia's status may not be enough to guarantee that she will become the queen of Castile.

Actually, you just have to think about it to understand.

Alexander's succession to Castile in the name of George Modilo Astamara was a controversial event.

The status of an illegitimate child became a major obstacle to his crown, so that he seized the throne not by law, but by force.

Because of this, many people can't help but wonder if Alexander would marry a princess of pure blood in order to prove his legitimacy, and if you think about it, this is indeed the best shortcut to get him recognized by all the courts in Europe as soon as possible.

And Barondi's background obviously does not meet this need.

is also an illegitimate child, if the background similar to Alexander's before allowed Barendi to sit firmly on the throne of the Duke of Thesia, then now she has to worry about this.

Thinking that Barendi must be anxious now, Jisha couldn't help but feel a little smug with a little malice.

The Duchess's throne may not be able to compete with her, but she may not be able to sit firmly on the queen's throne, so it seems that only the identity of the younger sister is really the only one.

"And when is she?" Josa asked again, and when Alexander turned his head slightly, Josa reached out and pulled his face to let him look at him.

In the darkness, Alexander's eyes flickered, and Zhisa did not speak.

The silence did not last long, and Alexander broke the stalemate first.

"I can't let her come for now, Rome Thesia needs her to preside over the situation," Alexander said first, and seeing that he didn't want to speak, he had to continue, "I have considered that Barendi must be my queen." ”

Speaking of this, Alexander looked at Jisha with helpless eyes in the night.

"Oh, yes," Josha turned her smooth back to Alexander, then leaned back and snuggled into Alexander's arms, her eyes looking out the window at the already dim starlight, "Can you explain why?" ”

Alexander rubbed his cheek against Josha's long silky hair and looked out the window with her.

"First of all, Barondi is my wife," he said, glancing at the look on Josha's face before continuing, "whether it was the establishment of Rome Thesia or her later as my prisoner, Barendi has done so much, and everything she has done has proven that she is a qualified wife, and I have nothing to blame her." ”

"A worthy wife."

Josha repeated Alexander's words in a somewhat strange tone, and then her slender neck twisted slightly, turning her head to look at Alexander's side face.

"So you tell me that if I wasn't your sister, would I be a qualified wife?"

Alexander was slightly stunned, then smiled helplessly.

"Actually, you know what I mean."

His eyes were cast out of the window again, and by this time there was already a faint blue and white light in the east, and if he listened closely, he could already faintly hear the occasional morning rooster crowing in the city.

"Actually, we can't be qualified wives, can we?"

Josha rose from Alexander's arms, and she walked barefoot to the window, letting the cool morning breeze blow through the thin veils of the veil.

In the brightening morning light outside, the back of Tsusha looked like a tall poplar tree.

Then she turned suddenly, and the curtain swept in front of her, covering her figure.

Her eyes were straight at Alexander, and in the backlit shadows, they looked so bright.

"I may not be able to be a qualified wife, but I can be your best helper, who knows you better than me in this world, so my brother, I can give up my wife's position, but I will never give you to others."

Looking at Jisha, Alexander was a little distracted, and then couldn't help but sigh.

The Pope's letter arrived a few days later.

When the muddy messenger stood in front of Alexander, his pitiful appearance offered him a few gold coins and two bottles of rum.

Alexander was a little surprised to see the contents of the letter, but he didn't feel much strange.

Jeffrey has always been a bear child, but because of his status, he is still a bear child who can easily put his stupid behavior into practice.

So his father hated him, his brothers distanced themselves from him, and finally his wife was always happy to find a lover to glorify him.

Perhaps because of this, Jeffrey became more perverse, which made his relatives even more alienated from him.

It was not surprising that such a Jeffrey would do such a thing as colluding with Ferdinand.

The only thing Alexander didn't expect was that Ferdinand wanted to take advantage of even such a bear child in order to gain the upper hand.

As for the purpose of the elder Rovere writing this letter to Alexander VI, it is also obvious.

If Jeffrey had violated the biggest taboo of the Borgia by colluding with Ferdinand to deal with his family for his own selfishness, then for old Rovelle, whoever prevented his son from becoming the Duke of Milan was his worst enemy.

For this reason, he could even temporarily unite with the old enemy Alexander VI.

Ferdinand's constant encouragement of Maximian to march into Lombardy undoubtedly really touched the sensitive nerves of old Rovere.

And although he did not have a good relationship with Alexander, seeing that his daughter was about to become the queen of Castile, he couldn't tolerate Fei ruining this good thing.

Alexander can imagine that for those two veteran power players, when they suddenly discovered that there might be a common enemy, it may have been a blink of an eye to go from being a long-time enemy to a temporary peace.

And Alexander VI would send him the letter of old Rovere only out of the last bit of dignity as a pope.

"It seems that I have to make a statement," Alexander said to Don Bandraz, who was standing aside, "and please prepare a statement for me, in a slightly harsh language and in a clear way that expresses my determination." ”

The mayor of Madrid, who was temporarily acting as a clerk, prepared a pen and paper, and then looked at Alexander quietly.

"First, as part of the Borgia family, I am deeply concerned about the situation of my brother Giovanni's widow and children, and reiterate my support and protection for their legitimate inheritance to the Gandino's lands and titles......"

When Alexander said this, he noticed that the quill in the mayor's hand seemed to be stunned, and he waved his hand slightly to signal him to continue recording: "Secondly, I announce that I will officially send an envoy to Rome Thesia to proclaim the Duchess Valentia de Juliante Gombray as the future Queen of Castile!" ”

Don Bandraz, who had been impressed by the first announcement, was stunned when he heard Alexander's second announcement, and a drop of ink fell from the tip of the quill pen in his hand, leaving a very striking black ink spot on the paper.

There was so much that happened in Iberia in September, but none of them could compare to the accession to the throne of Giorgio Mordillo Astemara, regent of Castile.

Despite the fact that the date for the coronation was set for October and that there was no time to invite monarchs from other countries to pay their respects, the change of Castile throne caused a stir throughout Europe.

But before that, another more striking event brought everyone's eyes to the southwestern peninsula of Europe.

Alexander proclaimed the creation of an alliance of Castile and Sicilian troops, commanded by the highly respected Gonzalo.

The only reason why the powerful armies of two countries were suddenly put under the command of a single man could only be the imminent start of war.

The enemy was apparently Ferdinand of Aragon.

It is noted that as an opponent who had fought Gonzalo on the battlefield not long ago, Jossa expressed unreserved support for Alexander's decision.

Considering that as the Queen of Sicily, she also had a claim to Aragone, and the whole of Europe was amazed, and before you knew it, the siblings had each shown their ambitions to one of the most powerful kingdoms in Europe.

Alexander didn't know how Ferdinand would react when he heard about his announcement, and he really didn't care.

It is now late autumn, and the Iberian Peninsula has entered the annual autumn flood season.

It was obviously not appropriate to start a war at this time, but there was another important event for Alexander that touched his heart even more.

After being inspired by Alexander and funded by Manuel, da Gama was ready for another expedition after months of preparation.

This time, however, instead of following a new route to the east, as has been the case in history, a completely different route was explored, and da Gama would make his final supplies in the Azores before sailing west.

His destination was the Northern Continent, which had been speculated so far but had not yet been proven.

Such a feat means that the discovery of the New World will take a full 40 years before the actual discovery of the North American continent in history!

Because of these 40 years, the New World, which has historically been called America, will not only have a completely different name, but the future New World will also have a completely different pattern.

"That's proof that I've been in this world."

When he heard that da Gama's fleet had set sail as scheduled, Alexander sighed even though he knew that Jossa did not really understand the meaning of the words.

Then he collected his mood and walked to the map that was placed on the table.

Above, the terrain of Aragon is in plain sight!