What was the beginning of the 16th century?

It is an era from ignorance to civilization, from darkness to light

It is an era when the repressed nature is replaced by the passion of the human heart.

This was the era when what was later called the Three Masters of the Renaissance era.

It was the time of great geographical discoveries and people beginning to really understand what the world was like.

People are scrambling to seek wealth, exploring the unknown, and wanting to know where the boundaries of the world really are.

The maturing of seafaring technology has allowed people to connect the old world in isolation.

And use these great technologies to pull the new world into people's eyes.

It's all so beautiful, but it's not as glamorous as it seems.

It was also a time of constant artillery fire and turmoil.

Intrigue and ruthless warfare at court also permeated this era.

The Ottomans were in civil strife, the Europa war was raging, and even in the Atlantic, there were many battles for maritime supremacy.

Constrained by the still backward level of transportation and communication, Castile on the peninsula in the southwestern corner of Europe, although it is also in the Mediterranean, has no idea what is happening on the continent.

At the very least, Ferdinand was worried about whether the promised support from the Emperor would not be able to be obtained soon.

With his generosity, Ferdinand also had some friends at the Viennese court.

So he can get a lot of useful information in time, but even so, it will take some time for this news to be delivered to him.

It's just that he knew it earlier than anyone else.

Only this time, Ferdinand felt that the wait was too long.

According to his previous experience with his friends in Vienna, his own sources arrived before or after the arrival of the Emperor's envoys.

Those people would give him more detailed information, such as when the emperor had decided to send troops, the number of troops, and what steps might be taken.

These messages will undoubtedly help Ferdinand react accordingly in Iberia as soon as possible.

At least it would give him an idea of how far Maximian's promise would go.

But this time the news came too late, and it was simply said that there was no news.

None of his friends at the Viennese court had sent any definite information.

Although there were sporadic sources that were able to inquire about some movements, it was clearly not enough for Ferdinand.

This made him start to worry.

Ferdinand knew that the only explanation for this was that there should have been a completely different voice in the Viennese court regarding the sending of troops, or that there was a vehement opposition to it.

Even the emperor himself probably wavered on this matter.

Only in this way will the Austrian ministers, who have a good relationship with him, take a look at the direction of the wind first, and do not dare to rush to pass on the news.

This made Ferdinand realize the seriousness of the situation.

Maximian's purpose in marrying his son Philip to Juana cannot be said to have been for the throne of Castile in the first place, after all, Prince Juan was still alive as the crown prince at that time, but his purpose of trying to build a strong alliance through marriage was obvious.

So he would not have refused the request made by his in-laws, not to mention that with Juana becoming the crown prince, the situation in Iberia is even more closely related to him.

But in this way, the situation in Vienna seemed to have changed something, which made Ferdinand puzzled and at the same time could not help but feel a strong sense of unease.

What is it that makes Maximian so cramped?

After all, Maximian himself has always been obsessed with Milan, and hoping that he will send troops is only to prompt him to make up his mind to annex Milan earlier.

So what is it that makes the emperor still so indecisive when he has a advantage to take advantage of.

What really happened in Vienna?

It wasn't just that worried Ferdinand.

Every day, news of Andalusia was brought to him, but for some reason there had been no news for several days, which made Ferdinand even more worried.

Ferdinand had obviously never heard the phrase "no news is good news", but even if he did, he would scoff at it, like most people.

In fact, bad news on the battlefield is often slower than good news, because when the tide of battle is unfavorable, front-line commanders always want to turn the tide of the battle as quickly as possible, and then report back to the rear after making up for the mistakes.

It's just that this hope often backfires.

One mistake cannot be corrected by another, and when the situation finally deteriorates enough to affect the entire battlefield, those people will have to report the truth to the rear.

That's where the bad news comes in, and once that happens, the whole situation may be too bad to save.

Ferdinand may not have known the implications, but he knew that things might not be rosy.

There was a faint commotion outside the window, and footsteps could be heard in the hallway where the door was open.

Ferdinand reluctantly looked at the door, and when he saw the archbishop and several ministers walking in, the vertical lines on his forehead deepened.

"Your Majesty, you must make a decision as soon as possible," said the archbishop in a slightly unceremonious tone, "if the queen still refuses to attend the ceremony, it will lead to civil revolt." ”

"Of course I do!"

Ferdinand angrily interrupted the archbishop's words, and the king of Aragon, who had been calm no matter what kind of trouble he had encountered before, was now as violent as a rampant and arrogant low-level citizen.

"But what do I want to do, tie her up and send her to the venue, then only God knows what she's going to do to disgrace us all."

The archbishop looked at the angry king helplessly, he actually had some sympathy for Ferdinand, after all, whoever put such an unobedient daughter in the stall would have a headache.

What's more, she's still a queen, at least nominally the most noble figure in Castile, so those methods of dealing with madness and dementia certainly can't be used against her.

This makes things even more difficult.

"Maybe we can persuade Her Majesty to ......"

One of the ministers offered to suggest, but Ferdinand looked at him with mockery and silenced.

If reasoning can be moved, how can these people worry about it now?

"Your Majesty, Queen Juana must attend the ceremony of Holy Week, otherwise there will be all kinds of speculation among the people, there are already a lot of bad rumors, and if the Queen does not show up again, things may become out of control."

One of the ministers said with a gloomy look on his face that to these Castilians they really did not like Ferdinand, but now they had to face the present predicament with him.

Holy Week is one of the most important festivals of the year in Castile, second only to Christmas.

For seven days a week, people commemorate the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the world in a variety of ways, and there are solemn religious ceremonies everywhere to represent the entire process of Jesus from facing death to resurrection and ascension.

Solemn, pious, and even mad, this is Holy Week.

Many Christians will crucify themselves because of their devotion to the Lord to feel the suffering of Jesus Christ, and many more will donate their hard-earned wealth to the church on this day in the hope of salvation.

Such a grand ceremony, of course, requires the participation of the royal family.

For many years, Isabella had been dressed up every time during Holy Week, and Ferdinand, if she was there, would have been equally involved in the occasion with her wife.

But this year, the first Holy Week after Juana's accession to the throne, it is possible that she will be absent!

Ferdinand looked at everyone in front of him with a gloomy face, he knew that these people wanted him to make a fool of himself, but now they were also starting to worry.

Castile was now in trouble, with the Portuguese and the French in the northwest and north, and the Sicilians suddenly intermingling in the south.

And he guessed that there might not be no one among the Castilians who suspected him of colluding with the Sicilians.

After all, he still holds the title of King of Sicily to this day.

If......

Suddenly, a thought crossed Ferdinand's mind, and he thought that maybe he had really gotten into a dead end before, and he hadn't thought of another way that might completely solve the trouble in front of him.

At this thought, the king's face could not help but show a rare lightness, so that the gaze of the Castilian in front of him softened a little.

"I'll find a way not to let her ruin us all," said Ferdinand impatiently, "I'll go to her, and if she's still so willful, I'll tie her up and send her to the ceremony." ”

With that, Ferdinand walked out of the room briskly in a daze.

Although she has become the queen of Caslitia, Juana and Philip are still hiding in the castle of the Highlands.

Although she had stabilized her mood and even allowed her servants to help her serve Philip, who was dying, she still stubbornly forbade other women to approach her husband.

And she hides in the castle, also because of her father, Juana has some kind of indescribable fear.

So when she first heard that Ferdinand was visiting, Juana immediately became nervous.

Even though he was only in the living room, Ferdinand could smell the stench coming from the bedroom.

Looking at Ferdinand, whose face was gloomy and ugly, Juana clenched her fists hard and stared at her father stiffly.

And what she saw was a pair of indifferent eyes.

"It's not okay to go on like this, you are the queen and you must take your share of responsibility, I want you to participate in the Holy Week ceremony," Ferdinand said impatiently and waved his hand to stop Juana who was about to speak, "I am not asking but ordering you, if you don't want your husband to be disturbed all the time in the future, just do as I say, and I will arrange for someone to serve him well." ”

Speaking of which, Ferdinand added: "Don't worry, they're all manservants." ”

Juana bit her lip tightly, her body trembling slightly.

Although Juana has become irrational at times due to her madness, she can still instinctively sense danger.

She dared to yell and even curse at Isabella because she knew that her mother would not do anything to her in the end.

This was not the case with Ferdinand, who would have been punished mercilessly if she had offended him, and the man might even threaten her with Philip.

Her father was a truly cruel man.

But she shook her head vigorously.

"No, I'm going to stay by my husband's side, he's not doing well right now, and I'll be relieved if I'm not around."

"Then aren't you worried that this will anger me," Ferdinand glared angrily at his daughter, "you have almost made me lose patience, and I sometimes wonder how your mother can tolerate you, so I want you to do what I tell you, or I will punish you severely!" ”

"No!"

Juana's body stiffened, and her hands trembled.

Her face was pale, and she gasped for fear in a hurry, but she still cried out to Ferdinand: "I will not leave my husband, and no one can force me to leave him!" ”

Shouting, Juana turned and ran towards the bedroom, then slammed the door shut.

Ferdinand's eyes were gloomy as he stared at the closed door, anger surging in his heart.

He wanted someone to break in and drag Juana out of it, but reason held him back.

Seeing a servant cautiously walking in with a copper basin full of clear water, Ferdinand glanced at her.

"Stop," Ferdinand asked, frowning, as he walked over and looked at the copper basin and the towel inside, looking at the stains on the side of the basin, "this is for the Prince?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, Her Majesty will personally scrub the pus from Her Highness every day."

"Let's go."

Ferdinand coldly commanded, and seeing the servant's bewildered look, he repeated "Take it away!" ”

The servant left in a panic, and at the same time heard Ferdinand behind him order: "From now on, they are not allowed to send anything to them, no water or food, this is the king's order, and those who violate it will be punished!" ”

The servants looked at the terrified King in alarm, and some tried to argue, but they fell silent when they saw the soldiers who were following Ferdinand.

Two guards armed with axes walked up to the bedroom door, and the sound of weapons clashing blocked the doorway.

Their eyes were fixed on the servants who were trying to get closer to the bedroom, the long handles of the axes in their hands clashing against each other, consciously or unconsciously.

"She is not allowed to give them anything for a day if she does not come out, not even Philip's medicine," Ferdinand's voice was as emotionless as the look on his face at this time, "Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished severely." ”

With that, Ferdinand walked outside.

In the living room, a group of servants stared blankly at the door blocked by soldiers, and some kept whispering "God, God".

Ferdinand walked out of the castle hall with a gloomy face, the harsh sunlight outside annoyed him, and the bright weather did not make him feel better.

The thought of the celebrations of Holy Week made Ferdinand's head ache.

Juana's nonsense had made him unbearable, but he couldn't help it for a while.

Because of the possible changes in the Viennese court, Ferdinand also had a deep dissatisfaction with Maximian.

This dissatisfaction made him grow bored with Philip as well.

Ferdinand always felt that Philip was secretly encouraging Juana to be his enemy.

Especially after Isabella fell ill, Philip is likely to intensify his efforts to provoke Juana and their couple.

Because once Juana becomes queen, there will inevitably be conflicts between their sons-in-law over the influence of Juana.

So Ferdinand didn't care about Philip's terminal illness, and even vaguely felt that it might not be a good thing.

And Juana's current appearance of not caring about government affairs at all and locking herself in the castle is actually exactly what Ferdinand wants

Just the thought of Juana's nonsense made Ferdinand feel annoyed again.

It seems that he has to do what he thought about as soon as possible, Ferdinand pondered.

If the thought that popped into him just started out as a flash of inspiration, it began to grow stronger in his heart after seeing Juana.

He didn't want to leave Castile or even Aragon in the hands of anyone else.

Ferdinand thought as he walked towards the carriage that had stopped not far away.

Just as he was about to board the carriage, he saw the strange face of the court jester.

Of all his cronies, Ferdinand trusted this man the most, and this was due to the fact that this man had a humble position and had no other way out than to be attached to him.

The man looked much more beautiful without the Joker's mischievous mask, so Ferdinand ordered him forbidden to take off the mask.

So when he saw the Joker, before he could jump off his horse and stand firm, Ferdinand had already spoken, "I was looking for you." ”

"Your Majesty......"

The Joker was about to say something, but was interrupted impatiently by Ferdinand.

"There's something I want you to do, it may be a little dangerous, but if you succeed, you can get a piece of territory."

Despite wearing a mask, the Joker's seemingly stiff appearance made Ferdinand realize the shock he had been given by his words.

This satisfied Ferdinand, who was never stingy with his hard-working men, and knew better what kind of reward to use to win their allegiance.

"Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?"

The eyes behind the mask became hot, and his voice trembled slightly.

A piece of territory, even for the nobility, is not a trivial matter.

What's more, with his status, the Joker knows exactly what the territory means.

That was the key that would free him from this pitiful and lowly position, and perhaps he would not be on an equal footing with the nobles in the end, but at least in his own realm, he was the master.

"It's a very secret thing." Ferdinand whispered, instinctively looking around, and then beckoned the Joker to follow him to the open area in front of the castle gates.

It's empty, so you don't have to worry about being heard through the walls.

Ferdinand took off his gloves, took a large ruby ring from his finger and handed it to the Joker: "You take this." ”

The clown looked surprised, he knew the ring, and the coat of arms of Aragorn on it attested to the high status of the owner.

"This proves your identity, I want you to see Andalusia."

Ferdinand's words made the clown stunned, and he wanted to say something, but Ferdinand opened his mouth again.

"That Cambrai knows you, so you have to be careful, I want you to avoid him, and then meet the queen alone."

"You mean Your Majesty Tsusha Kosenza Astamiria?" The clown asked, stunned.

"Yes, she is," Ferdinand replied, "I want you to propose to her for me." ”

Even with the mask on, the stunned look in the clown's eyes was obvious enough.

Ferdinand continued: "I had not thought of this possibility before, but now it seems that it may not be a good idea, let her marry me, so that the two Sicilies will be truly united, she can also become the queen of Sicily, and I and her children can inherit Naples." ”

Seeing that Ferdinand suddenly became happy, the clown finally spoke cautiously: "But Your Majesty, I heard that something bad has happened in Andalusia. ”

"What, is anyone coming from Seville?"

Ferdinand immediately asked, he had been waiting too long for news about Sevilla.

Seeing Ferdinand's anxious expression, the clown did not speak immediately, his lips moved, and then he said carefully: "I heard that Don Bavi is dead, and was killed by his servants before he was captured. ”

"Oh," Ferdinand was stunned for a moment, and then he let out a voice that he didn't know if it was joy or what, but his eyes were still on the clown. ”

"Also, Gonzalo withdrew from Seville."

Hearing the Joker's words, Ferdinand was stunned for a moment.

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