When the words about Alexander reached the Vatican, Pope Alexander VI was sitting at a large table with his son Caesar looking at a map on the table.

The map is very detailed, showing not only all the major towns, but even the passes between some towns.

Most rarely, there are some scale-like descriptions on the edges of this map, which makes this map appear much more accurate and detailed than other contemporaneous maps.

"80 fars."

Caesar looked at the map and whispered to himself, on this map centered on Rome, there was a route that was improvized, one end of the route was in Rome, and the other end seemed to be in Montina, Alexander's territory.

"I can't imagine how that Alexan had taken his men through these roads."

Caesar looked up at his father, and he noticed that his father was silent, which he had noticed since Giovanni's death, which annoyed Caesar's heart, and of course he knew what was going on in the Pope's mind, or the sentence he had always wanted to ask, had always been circling in his throat and could blurt it out at any moment.

"This is a man who can surprise people," Alexander VI reclined in his chair, he had a glass of bright red wine in his hand, this wine was similar in color to his family's famous cantarella, so every time he drank wine, Alexander VI would secretly ask himself if it would be a glass of canterella, "There are many people in Rome, and they can do a lot of surprising things all day long, but most of them are focused on their own bad life at home, and there are not many like this man." ”

"Alexandre Juliant Cambrai," Caesar nodded slightly, admitting that his father's words were right, perhaps out of sheer contempt, and when the rumors of Alexander's presence on the battlefield reached Naples, Caesar, even though he admitted that this man did have unexpected talents, he never thought that this Alexander would pose any threat to him.

But when he heard that Alexander had entered Rome before him, Caesar really began to take the man seriously.

A march that seemed impossible to most people today allowed Alexander to enter Rome before Caesar, and likewise made Caesar seem to see a formidable opponent.

From the day he decided to renounce the priesthood, Caesar no longer concealed his ambitions, so he diligently courted the daughter of King Frederick of Naples, hoping to quickly rush to the top of power through a favorable marriage.

It's just that it is clear that Frederick and his daughter have no good feelings for him, and their every move, although not indifferent, shows a deliberate distancing from him, which makes Caesar feel unspeakably angry, which even affects the marriage between Lucrezia and Alfonso of Billy Shelly.

The coldness and contempt of Frederick's father and daughter made Caesar secretly vow not only to get ahead, but also to stand in the place where the father and daughter looked up to him and looked down on the father and daughter who despised him.

The unusual speed of Alexander's army caught Caesar's attention, and it was Montina that made him pay more attention.

The previous invasion of Romagna by the Venetian and Milanese armies had proved Montina's importance, and now with Caesar's official dismissal from the priesthood, his eyes could not help but turn to Romagna.

Caesar's ambition at the moment is to become the Duke of Romagna!

Tuscany and Romagna, the two richest parts of central Italy, have long been key to containing northern and southern Italy.

Historically, anyone who has controlled these two places has become an unstoppable power.

Defending Romagna to threaten Venice from afar was an important means for almost all successive popes hostile to Venice.

It's just that although many people in the past were equally aware of the importance of Romagna, no one thought further than Caesar.

The reason why he wanted to become the Duke of Romagna was not because he coveted the duke's crown, but because he wanted to use Romagna as a base to contain Naben and then march on the whole of Italy.

The unification of the entire Apennine Peninsula is a dream goal for all popes.

And Caesar believed that he could fulfill this dream, which no one had ever been able to achieve before.

Alexander VI looked at Caesar, who was standing in front of the map in contemplation, and slowly withdrew the words that he wanted to ask several times.

What if you ask?

How would Caesar answer? Or rather, no matter what he answered, he could not be satisfied.

Alexander VI suddenly felt a little tired, he felt that his body seemed to be much worse than before, and even the night before, when faced with Julia Farne's charming body, he seemed to lose interest all of a sudden.

The sound of Nomerlo's creepy approach woke the pensive Pope, who looked up at the secretary with a full inquiring gaze.

Alexander VI trusted Nomelo very much, so he knew that it would disturb him at this time, something very important must have happened.

"It's about that Gombray," Nomelo said simply, "and he went to the villa in Ashulk yesterday......"

Listening to the secretary's description, the Pope and his son were puzzled at first, they did not know why Alexander had suddenly visited the Ottoman envoy, at least Alexander VI did not think that the man had anything to do with Giovanni's death.

When they heard Alexander's words, which stunned the Roman nobles at the time, the father and son, who looked at each other, saw a question in each other's eyes: Could it be that Cambrai is crazy?

No one knew better than Alexander VI how awkward the position of the Church in Europe is today.

The monarchs, large and small, were no longer as respectful and reverent as they had been in the past, and one only had to think of the enthusiasm of the time of Urban II and the glory of the power of the Holy See at the height of its power under Innocent II, and Alexander VI felt that he was really born in a bad era.

Because of this, with the arrival of the Ottoman envoy, he skillfully showed a rare toughness to the envoy of the Sultan.

At the same time he was very cautious about probing on the edge of hostility and confrontation, and when he found that his attitude might cause real trouble, he was immediately careful to avoid things that could lead to a real conflict with the Sultan's envoys.

This series of maneuvers led Alexander VI to believe that if he used these diplomatic tools nimly, he could re-establish the authority of the Holy See throughout Christendom while avoiding a real anger at the Ottomans, while using the threat of pagans.

But now, Alexander VI suddenly realized that he was moved by his generous speech, or for some reason, that Alexander had really put on a posture of fighting to the death with the Ottomans.

This surprised the Pope and secretly frightened.

The Ottoman army had taken over all of Greece, and with the surrender of Grand Duke Stefan to the Ottoman Sultan Basayet, the Balkans had fallen to the Ottomans.

And between the Balkans and the Apennine Peninsula, there is only one Adriatic Sea!

"Is that Cambrai crazy!"

Caesar roared angrily, anger rolling in his eyes, and when he looked at the map on the table, Caesar couldn't help but slam his fist on the map.

"It will infuriate the Sultan thoroughly," Caesar said anxiously to his father, who was still groaning, "and perhaps when that Ashurk leaves, when we meet again, he will bring not a cartload of gold, but the Sultan's army and artillery." ”

Hearing the cannon, Alexander VI's hand holding his chin and groaning couldn't help but shake slightly.

There were so many rumors about the terrible artillery used in the capture of Constantinople that even the thousand-year-old walls of Constantinople could not stop the Ottoman cannons.

"Where's that Cambrai?" Alexander VI said to his secretary with a gloomy face, "Let him come to me, maybe he thinks he is too laid-back, maybe it might be better to find him something to do." ”

Hearing this, Caesar next to him stiffened slightly.

Of course, he knew that one of Caesar's tasks as a Roman defender was to find out who killed Giovanni.

Alexander came quickly, or had already guessed the great trouble that those words might cause, so he had been prepared, and when the people who went to look for him had not yet gone to the Sistine Chapel, they saw it by the large pool at the entrance of the church.

Seeing Alexander walk into the room, Caesar stood aside with a gloomy face, and Caesar didn't have a good impression of this guy who had kidnapped Lucrezia but then unexpectedly didn't know how to make his sister fall in love with him.

Especially now, Caesar, who has made up his mind to become the Duke of Romagna, can hardly tolerate the existence of a territory like Montina, which might cause him trouble.

What's more, the owner of this territory is not only the annoying Cambrai in front of him, but also belongs to the Rovere family, which makes Caesar even more unbearable.

"Count, I wonder why you said that yesterday in front of the Sultan's emissary," the Pope's face was calm, and he waved his hand slightly to his son, who was standing aside, motioned for him to go out, and then waited for Caesar to leave him before he got up and walked up to Alexander, "I remember telling you what to do, and not asking you to show off your bravery in front of that Ottoman, or some pretty woman. ”

Alexander knew that the Pope was talking about Olgala, which led him to believe that there should be the Pope's eyeliner among those people yesterday.

"Your Majesty, I have certainly not forgotten my mission, and this is what I swore to Giovanni," Alexander appeared calm in the face of the Pope's stern gaze, "and I can report to you that I have found very important clues. ”

"Who is it?!"

Alexander VI's voice was a little distorted, his hand clutching the arm of the chair next to him, his chest heaving slightly.

"Forgive me for not being able to tell you the name of this man for the time being," Alexander shook his head, "I don't know yet if this man is the real murderer, or if he's just someone's scapegoat." ”

Alexander VI's cheeks twitched, but he regained his composure.

"Then now you should explain to me what the purpose of those words you said yesterday," the Pope sat down and looked at Alexander, "I wonder why you say that, don't you know what kind of trouble it can bring by provoking the Sultan's envoys?" ”

"Your Majesty, I just want that Ottoman to know our determination."

"Determination?"

Alexander VI's heart moved slightly, he was sure that he understood the meaning of the word, and in fact he showed such a strong attitude in front of the Sultan's envoys, which was precisely to show this determination.

"Do you think the Ottomans will be scared away by your bravery?" The Pope looked at Alexander with a little mockery, "Or do you think that your Agri are called by this name, and your Agri can make the Ottomans dare not invade easily?" ”

"Your Majesty, I just want to prove my piety and bravery, as for the Ottomans, I don't think they will give up the invasion of us because they are afraid, on the contrary, I don't think they should waste too much time, maybe now the Ottoman fleet is ready, and their cavalry may be ready to attack the heart of Christendom at any time."

Alexander VI looked stunned, for the first time someone had told him with such certainty that the Ottomans would wage a war.

Although this man was considered to him to have experienced several victories that proved his bravery and resourcefulness on the battlefield, he was still an insignificant man in the eyes of Alexander VI.

At least, not so important that Alexander VI would consider marrying his daughter to him.

But the Pope couldn't help but admit that Alexander's almost categorical assertion still made him feel a little nervous in his heart.

"Do you think the Ottomans will start a war?"

Alexander groaned slightly, he didn't want to believe the young man's words, but Alexander's unexpected courage on the battlefield made him think that this young man had a good eye.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, it's not that I think, but it's inevitable."

Alexander walked over to the table, where he had noticed a few maps on the table, so he simply flipped through them and found a map of the Mediterranean.

"Your Majesty, we are not far from the Ottomans," said Alexander, pointing casually to the roughly recognizable Adriatic Sea sandwiched between the two peninsulas, "We all know that the Ottomans have arrived in Moldova, and just a few years ago Grand Duke Stefan sent his son as a hostage to the Ottoman court, and he had to pay a large annual tribute to the Sultan. ”

"This is something that many people know," Alexander VI waved his hand impatiently, but even this does not prove that the Ottomans will start a war soon, considering that Moldova was not completely conquered by the Ottomans, and that the current Grand Duke Stefan is still the ruler there, and the Poles are helping them. ”

Listening to the Pope's words, Alexander smiled.

His silent smile looked plain, but in the eyes of Alexander VI, it seemed to turn into a silent mockery.

"Why, don't you think so?" The Pope asked with a gloomy expression.

"Your Majesty, I am not familiar with Archduke Stefan, but if I were him, I would never consider the Poles my friends."

"Oh, why?" Alexander VI asked in some surprise.

"Your Majesty, who can tolerate a person who forces himself to sign a vassal treaty to humiliate himself again and again, especially a monarch, is there anything more that can make a person hate?"

The Pope looked at Alexander silently, he didn't know for a moment whether Alexander was right, but he knew that this young man had hit a key point that many people might have overlooked.

Already a few years earlier, in order to resist the powerful offensive of the Ottoman Sultan Basayet II, Grand Duke Stefan of Moldova had to accept near-humiliating conditions in exchange for the support of the Poles.

According to that treaty, Moldova not only recognized Polish suzerainty, but also allowed Polish troops to enter Moldova at any time.

Everyone knows what kind of humiliation such a treaty means for a monarch, and Moldova, with the support of Poland, has not been able to avoid a crushing defeat, and even the prince has to be forced to become hostages.

With this result, after paying a huge price and sacrifice, who does the Grand Guild of Moldova hate more?

"Do you think there will be a war between the Poles and Moldova?" Alexander VI finally hesitated, and he had to promise that the words of this young man, who had not been favored by him before, not only surprised him, but also felt a kind of visceral worry.

Are you really worried that things will turn out the way he says things will go?

Alexander VI was reluctant to admit his speculation, but he could not help but think so, for he had seen the contents of the Polish-Moldovan Entente, and knew better than anyone else how infuriating it was for the Moldovans.

"This is of course the worst, but if there is a war, it means that the last barrier against the Ottomans will also be lost," Alexander said helplessly, "and the Sultan will quickly annex all of Moldova, and then his army will go west along the Adriatic coast and then towards Venice." ”

As he spoke, Alexander waved his hand forward along the map, and when his finger landed on Venice, he suddenly tapped it hard.

The sound of "thump" made Alexander VI's heart beat inexplicably.

If Venice is threatened, will it be far from Rome?

"But how do you know that what you say is going to happen?" The Pope stared at Alexander, wanting to know if the young man was deliberately deceiving him, or if he did know something.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty," Alexander bowed, "I have to obtain your forgiveness before I can tell why." ”

"Oh, what is it to be forgiven," Alexander VI asked, a little curious, as he put his hand on Alexander's shoulder, "now tell me what you know." ”

"Your Majesty, you have probably heard of a bohemian girl whom I know of a bohemian girl," said Alexander, "and whose father is from the royal palace in Prague, from whom I have heard about these things. ”

The Pope looked at Alexander with some surprise, he had heard of such a thing, which made him suspicious of Alexander's words.

The Pope opened his mouth again, and just as he was about to continue his questioning, a sharp knock on the door suddenly interrupted their conversation.

As the door was pushed open, a nervous-looking Nomelo entered the room.

"Your Majesty!" As soon as he entered Menomelo, he said anxiously, "The news just came that Poland and Moldova are at war!" ”