Groganin's appearance made Alexander seem to see a glimmer of light in the groping that was always dark.

All along, although he already had a goal, but because this goal was so far away, Alexander was somewhat confused, he didn't know if he would really get to that goal one day, or more likely that one day he would fall on the way to that goal.

The Iberian Peninsula was once glorious beyond the imagination of most people today, and it is also a source that fascinates many people in later generations.

But that place is also cruel and even terrible.

It is hard to imagine that even after a few hundred years, the cruel Inquisition still remained, and even when the Holy See gradually abandoned the rule of terror over the people with the times, the Spanish Inquisition still punished those who were considered heretics with all kinds of torture and harsh Inquisition.

The scary thing is that they only do it because they think that some people have different beliefs than they do.

Thought sins are the most horrific, they don't care if a person has committed a crime that has serious consequences or harmed others, as long as they think that this person is different, they can be considered to have violated the law ideologically.

And the Inquisition was the most serious and conscientious place to punish such crimes.

Alexander knew that with the victory of the Reconquista, the two kingdoms of Castile and Aragon would eventually merge into a united Spain, which was an inevitable trend.

What is his goal?

A Spanish crown?

It seemed like a great goal, but in his heart he vaguely felt that it wasn't like that, at least it was more than a Spanish crown.

So what else?

Alexander had been asking himself in his heart, but he had never received an answer, and now with the appearance of Grogenen, he suddenly felt as if he had discovered something.

How to take Spain from that couple was a difficult thing to do, and it seemed almost impossible now.

The victory of the Reconquista brought Isabella and Ferdinand to a level of prestige that no one else could have imagined, as evidenced by the unruly Gonzalo.

Gonzalo, who dared to reprimand the pope in public, had an almost adoring admiration for Isabella, and according to some rumors, Isabella went around preaching about the various so-called holy miracles that had occurred in Castile, where she ruled.

This makes people revere and even worship the queen even more.

How difficult must it be to take the crown from such a woman?

What's more, her husband is still the bold and decisive Ferdinah, which can be seen from the fact that he did not hesitate to depose Frederick of the current Kingdom of Naples a few years later, and finally put the crowns of the two Sicilian kingdoms on his head.

Alexander could not but admit that this was a truly difficult goal to achieve.

But now he finally saw hope.

"I'm going to help the lowlanders," Alexander said excitedly to Josha, knowing that he seemed a little carried away, but there wasn't much time for him to indulge so freely, and only in the presence of Josha would he become so relaxed, "They can help me achieve our ideals." ”

"Ours?" She reclined on the back of the couch, which showed off the curves of her body, and although it was not as exaggerated as Sophia looked, the difference between a young girl and a girl could sometimes be seen not only by her figure.

"Yes, ours," Alexander walked over and sat down beside him and looked down at her, "you asked me who I am, and I think I can tell you now that I have the right to challenge the throne of Castile, and in the most direct way." ”

Although she had thought too much about the possibilities, and vaguely guessed some kind of explanation from her uncle Mordillo's past experience, which seemed absurd but seemed reasonable, when she really heard the news, Jisha still showed a dull expression.

Her lips were lightly open, her slightly tilted head froze there, and her eyes were so blue that they could only be surprised and bewildered.

She made Alexander's original excited mood change suddenly, looking at Zhensha who was looking up at him slightly, Alexander stretched out a hand and carefully grabbed the back of her head from behind, and then lowered his head and pecked her lightly on the lips.

As if awakened by the kiss, she shook her head from Alexander's grasp, and then stepped back, looking Alexander up and down as if she were looking at something rare.

"You mean 'he', no, it's your father and that Enrique?"

Alexander nodded a little surprised, he didn't expect Jisha to think about the cause and effect of the matter so quickly, although he had revealed enough, but obviously Jisha was not without ideas about 'his' background, it was obvious that she had been speculating about who the man before her mother was for a long time.

"Yes," Alexander nodded frankly, knowing that in order to get Josa's unreserved help, he had to let her know his "secret" "In fact, it was all manipulated by our uncle, who arranged for his mother to be Enrique's secret lover, and then brought his pregnant mother back to Naples. ”

"What does he want to do, is it so important for him to reunite Sicily, and he wants Enrique's support?"

"After all, Enrique was a powerful foreign aid to him at that time, as the king of Castile," Alexander shrugged helplessly, "no one would have thought that he would be replaced by his sister later, and our uncle had great ambitions, except for the hope of reuniting the two Sicilies, he may not be less concerned about the crown of Castile." ”

"Maybe Aragorn," the corners of Asha's mouth turned slightly, "If you want to talk about our uncle's understanding, I think you are not as good as me, as far as I know, he has always been dissatisfied that the Mordilo family is actually subservient to the rule of the royal family, and he even thinks that the Modilo family should be the legitimate heir of Naples, after all, when the king of Aragon came to Naples, the Modillos have been breeding in that land for several generations. ”

Alexander was a little surprised, this was the first time he had heard of such a thing, but considering that his uncle had been watching Castile who couldn't even beat the eight poles, it was a bit of a stretch to say that he did not covet the throne of Naples.

It's okay to have an ambitious uncle, as long as he doesn't spoil my good deeds. Alexander thought so, and ran his hand over the back of the head.

Ji Sha gently opened his hand, and then stared at him a little annoyed: "Are you treating your women like this, grabbing them like holding a slave girl who refuses to obey?" ”

"First of all, don't use 'they' to describe me, I don't have that many women, and secondly, I just like you the way you are, and I don't treat you like a slave girl who can be called at will," Alexander held Josha's face with both hands to prevent her from struggling, and pecked her again before saying, "That Grogenen is very important to us." ”

"How important?" She asked, curling her lips and kissing back.

"It's not as important as you think, I'm not talking about the man himself, but the lowlands behind him, the wealth that those places can bring to us you can't think of, and there are other more important things." Alexander kissed it.

"Tell me everything, or I'll look it up myself, you know a lot of people now." Not to be outdone, Zhensha kissed back.

The two of them kissed while talking as if they were competing, until before they knew it, their lips stuck together and refused to part again.

"I think we should buy another house, just the kind for the two of us."

Alexander said a little helplessly, this kind of kissing and cocking his ears to listen to the movement outside at any time is really uncomfortable, and he began to miss the clever Moore inexplicably.

"And let me wait for you in the house every day like that Lucrezia?" Jisha staggered back and asked dissatisfiedly, "Don't forget that I'm not your other woman, I'm your sister." ”

Alexander noticed that when he spoke of 'sister', the corners of Josha's mouth curled up with an indescribable pride, as if to say, "How can other women compare to me, they are only your lovers, and there is only one sister." ”

"Yes, my best sister," Alexander touched the tip of Josha's nose with a finger and raised his hand to touch the sun-kissed blonde hair on her head.

Then he was a little stunned.

These actions are a little wrong.,Isn't this just the right thing for my sister.。

Even if it is for others to see it, they probably won't feel unusual, maybe they will only feel that their brother and sister have a deep relationship.

But I obviously treat her as a lover in my heart.

Alexander hurriedly shook his hand, and while muttering "not sister, not sister", he began to whisper his thoughts to Zhensha.

The Lowlanders, the Dutch, and the Dutch, who don't exist today, are a mixed name, but they all speak of a different kind of people.

From the beginning of Roman expansion, this lowland region on the Atlantic coast in the western corner of Europe came into the eyes of all conquerors, and one after another conquerors came here to leave their mark on them, which was then erased by later conquerors.

And all the conquerors have one thing in common, this is not a place to feed too many people.

Large, low-lying swamps and an overly abundant water network have made the land a vast area of 'wasteland' that is difficult to cultivate, although it is blessed with easy access to water transportation.

The rulers were reluctant to waste their precious time here, and although the ease of transportation seemed to be a slight advantage, it was a bit too much to devote to the management of such a land.

"But can you imagine the real role of these people, who have a wealth of experience at sea, who can build the most advanced ocean-going ships of our time, whose cargo can be sent to the farthest reaches of the heart of Europe through those water networks," said Alexander, with excitement shining in his eyes, "and above all, there are laws in the Netherlands that make it all very smooth, which can save us too much time for our plans." ”

"No, the most important thing is that they are in need of help," Zhisa corrected, "The Netherlands fear the rule of the Emperor and Queen of Castile, and you happen to be their savior, but your friend Kotschach doesn't seem to be very willing to cooperate with the Lowlanders." ”

"I know, but he didn't completely refuse," Alexander would not forget that Kotschach still took his share of the plan with him when he left, which made him believe that the palace minister could still change his mind, "Believe me, I have a way to make it difficult for him to refuse, as long as he sees the miracle that is about to begin in Rome, he will definitely not be able to sit still." ”

At this point, Alexander suddenly stood up, and he walked back and forth with some excitement and said, "You can't imagine how much we have to do, and I even think that maybe I can do one thing in my life to be enough for my heart." ”

"Then do it one by one," said Sha Sha, holding Alexander and placing her hands on his shoulders, "Don't forget that you promised me a status that would make others jealous and awe-inspiring, and you must do those things well for this purpose." ”

Listening to this unusual encouragement, Alexander couldn't help but be amused and a little moved.

"You are really my best sister," he gently hugged Jisha, and looked out the window at the sky that was already completely dark, at this time the whole city of Rome was already dark in most places except a few places, looking at the silhouettes of the buildings in the distance that were faintly visible in the bright light, Alexander couldn't help but think to himself, who else had not fallen asleep at this time because of their own thoughts?

There were many people who couldn't sleep on this night, but there was one person that Alexander didn't expect.

Alfonso, the former bishop of Palermo, leaned against the corner of the stone wall, and the stench that made him unbearable when he first came in didn't matter to him now, and he had been in the sweltering, dirty, and terrifying prison of Castel Angel for a long time, as if he had been forgotten.

Except for the caretaker who delivered that pitiful meal every day, Alfonso saw no one, no one came to interrogate him, and the former bishop, who had thought that he would have a chance to defend himself, was now terrified, he was afraid that he would really be forgotten.

If that's the case, all that awaits him is the fate of rotten death in prison.

There was a sound of footsteps, which sounded unusually clear in the night, and Alfonso did not move at first, but soon he realized that the footsteps must be coming towards him.

Alfonso opened his eyes and stared at the steps leading to the top of the cell door, and as the torches flickering at the entrance above, two pairs of feet appeared in front of Alfonso's eyes.

One of them was the pigskin shoes of the guards that Alfonso was familiar with, and the other was somewhat unfamiliar.

As the two figures descended the steps to the cell door, Alfonso saw a familiar face.

"Clarion!"

The bishop frantically pounced on the railing and clung to the railing, his eyes flashed with excitement, his previous grace and composure were completely gone, and all that remained was almost flattering tension.

"Are you here to save me?"

Cleion stared silently at Alfonso's face through the railing, then raised his hand to place a money bag in the hand of the guard next to him.

"Let's be alone for a while."

"Not too long."

The guard's handbag, which was a little pressed, stretched the brim of his hat, and turned to walk up the steps.

"Krion, hurry up and get me out, and I'll repay you." Alfonso was a little nervous, and he could see that something seemed to be wrong.

"How can you repay me as you did to Kunto?"

Hearing this name, which had not been mentioned for a long time, Alfonso's cheeks twitched.

"Tell me what you asked Kunto do in Sicily?"

Alfonso's face changed, and he stared at Clarion uneasily, as if to tell by the look on his face how much he knew.

"Tell me!"

Alfonso's body shuddered as Clean's roar reverberated through the cell.

"Don't be like this, you know I treat you like brothers."

"You've been nice to us, that's why you betrayed Kunto." Kryan sneered coldly.

"No, I didn't betray him!" Alfonso clung to the railing and shouted fiercely.

"I went to the little city of Alsto, in Sicily, where Kunto was last seen, and he was the messenger who went to meet you to meet him, and I saw the imprint of the church where he left."

There was danger in Clean's deep voice, and it seemed like he was ready to pounce on him and tear Alfonso's throat at any moment.

"I just asked him to do things for me," Alfonso tried to discern, "but then I never heard from him again, you know that I have feelings for your brothers, I raised you and made you do things for me, you betrayed me." ”

Alfonso roared angrily, and he shook the fence so hard that he felt the shackles in front of him solidify, and he began to panic.

"Believe me, Krion, I didn't do anything to be sorry for you and Kunto, I have been looking for him since his disappearance, you know this, and I also sent you to inquire about his whereabouts, if it wasn't for the accident that you had to leave Sicily, I would have sent you to continue looking for your brother."

Alfonso said nervously, he looked closely at Cleion through the light of the torches, and when he noticed that Cleion's expression seemed to be calm again, he said anxiously: "Listen, I know that you are now working for the French, and I can create opportunities for you to be more important to them, help me Clarion, and I will repay you for saving me out." ”

Cleion looked at Alfonso coldly, a look of contempt on his face.

"Your Excellency, you probably don't understand why you're in this situation, why don't you want to know who leaked the Triple Crown that you pledged to the Jews?"

Alfonso looked at Cleion stunned, how could a man who could almost become a cardinal be a fool, but he had always had a glimmer of illusion.

Because the whereabouts of the Jews were unknown, Alfonso secretly hoped that he would find an opportunity to appeal to the Pope because there was no evidence that he was related to the Jews.

Alexander VI's greed led Alfonso to clear his name with bribes, and if he paid a high enough price, he might have the opportunity to return to Palermo and continue to be his bishop.

But now, all of a sudden, he found that all hope had been lost.

"It's you, it's you who let the masked man frame me?!" Alfonso yelled "Why, why are you doing this!" ”

"Because of what you did to Kunto, I saw not only the mark you left in Alsto, but also the mark you left on him, he went to the church in Alstoor to meet the person you sent, but he didn't expect that he was waiting for the murderer who was going to kill him."

Alfonso couldn't help but shake his head: "You must have misunderstood, you listen to me, I sent someone to meet him, but I don't know what went wrong, I don't even know what happened to him like you." ”

"So tell me what you're sending Kunto for?" Clion stared at Alfonso, "If I tell me, I might consider whether or not to get you out." ”

Cleion's words made Alfonso seem to be moved, and his hands unconsciously turned the rosary in his hand, the only thing he had with him besides his clothes.

"Tell me who the guy you asked him to find," Cleion asked in a low voice, "I already know, but I need you to tell me yourself." ”

Alfonso's lips trembled slightly, he hesitated whether to say it, looked at the hot and dark cell, and then looked at the faint exit on the steps behind Cleion, and finally his lips trembled and said, "It's a child, a child who was sent somewhere many years ago." ”

"Tell me the name, I want the name!" Creon's voice grew sharp, and he felt like he was standing at the door of the truth, opening it with a single stretch of his hand.

"I'll tell you when I get me out," Alfonso said suddenly, "if you want to know who this kid is, get me out." ”

Crean's eyes narrowed, and before the Bishop could react, he suddenly reached over the fence and grabbed Alfonso's neck, then pulled his wrist back hard!

With a scream, Alfonso was clasped to the railing by Cleion, his neck protruding outward, five powerful fingers almost digging into his skin.

"Say it, or I'll send you to God right now."

"Help me...... Out," Alfonso struggled desperately, but to no avail, he was most familiar with Clarion's cruelty and ruthlessness, and desperately broke Clarion's hand out of fear, trying to get rid of it.

At that moment, there was a sudden sound of footsteps coming from the corridor above, and Clarion listened for a moment, then let go of Alfonso, who was clutching him.

The Bishop fled into the distance, looking at Clarion through the fence in horror, as if he feared that he would break through the fence and rush in the next moment to kill him.

"Hurry up, someone's coming." The guard ran down the road a few steps, bent down and shouted to Krian below, "I don't know why, someone suddenly came to inspect today, go quickly." ”

At the guard's urging, Clarion looked back at the frightened Alfonso in the cell, stretched out his hand and waved his finger at him, then turned and followed the guard out of the corridor.

Listening to the footsteps that were walking away, Alfonso let out a broken groan.

Dressed like a delivery merchant with a hat on, Kryan drove the delivery cart out slowly through the side door of the Angel Castle, and he noticed several men on horseback hurrying in through the main entrance, but it was too dark to see the faces of those people.

As the carriage drove along the Tiber River, a dark shadow suddenly flashed from behind a tree, and then jumped nimbly into the carriage.

The moonlight shone on a mask embroidered with patterns, which looked unusually eerie.

"Just give up the bishop?" The masked man asked, a little puzzled, "You know, it wasn't easy for us to decide to support him in the first place. ”

"He's so stupid, or too unlucky," Cleion looked back at the Angel's Castle in the night, "seeing that he was about to succeed but let that Gombray discover the horse's feet, do you think that Giovanni's death is just that, and instead of letting that Gombray finally find out about his relationship with the Jews, let's get rid of him first." ”

"It's just a bit of a pity." The masked man looked at the cold surface of the river, his eyes shining with a faint light.

"Don't worry, we haven't found a better fit, and who better suits our needs than the Pope."

Clarion said, looking out at the Vatican's palace in the night.