On the outskirts of Rome, not far southeast of Rome, there is a small town called Neraco.

The town is not big, and it doesn't take a while to get from the beginning to the end.

However, the town is famous because it was formed on the basis of a magnificent royal garden from the early years.

This royal garden is a villa of the ancient Roman Emperor Hadrian outside the city of Rome.

Among the Roman emperors, Hadrian was a unique man who was so obsessed with art and architecture that some say he should have been a master builder rather than an emperor.

The garden in the small town of Nerako is one of the emperor's favorite masterpieces, but this magnificent and luxurious garden has been left to future generations after thousands of years of wind and rain, except for some ruins that are only for hanging, and it has long since disappeared from the grandeur of the year.

However, the town of Neraco has gradually become the most important and one of the oldest inns outside Rome by relying on this royal garden built in the early years, and even after the fall of the Roman Empire, this town still bears the important mission of the post station of the city of Rome to the south, and over the years, Neraco has gradually become the boundary of the conventional Roman city, and it seems that only through the stone arch that has been eroded by the wind and frost is almost invisible, can it be regarded as truly stepping on Roman land.

There is a small hotel in the small town of Nerako, and the stone walls look thick and oppressive, and the whole house looks like a small castle.

It's just that because of its age, the door frames and windows of the hotel look mottled and old, and sometimes people worry that they may fall off with a little push.

Alexander was sitting in a corner of the hotel at this time, and from here he could see the door directly.

After a brief encounter with Ficher at the Temple of Diana, Alexander saw an interesting scene.

As the largest "leading party", the motorteam of the Ronalet family passed the blockade line built by the coalition forces smoothly, and then under the greeting of the French on the opposite side, the motorteam set foot on the road to Rome with dignity.

This scene made Alexander feel incredible, but he knew that it would be a little funny if he hoped that his food delivery team could pass the test in this way.

To his surprise, Joanna, who had thought that she would cross the two sides and enter the city of Rome like the Ronalare family, unexpectedly ordered her team to stay with the grain caravan, and she actually came to the town of Neraco with Alexander.

Joanna seemed to be waiting for news to stay in the town, so she had a big house in the town to live in.

Alexander was waiting for someone in the town,

This man obviously didn't make him wait long, and when he saw the fat man walking into the hotel, Alexander couldn't help but smile slightly.

James Columbus, who had just entered, stood in the open space and looked around, then immediately walked to Alexander's table, where he first stood and looked, and then bowed slightly.

"It seems that my guardian angel did not bless me this time," James Columbus sat down on one side of the table, first looking at Nashan and Caro sitting on either side, before shaking his head and muttering, "I want to say it first, if you ask me to pursue the previous losses, I have no way to compensate you." ”

Alexander looked at the fat man opposite a little speechlessly, he would never have thought that the famous Columbus would have such a brother like a scoundrel, but as long as you think about Columbus, before his career, he lobbied everywhere to get the support of the great nobles, and then he did not hesitate to fight a lawsuit with the court of Castile, who had admired him before, in order to fight for the rights of the New World, and it is clear that after throwing away all kinds of halos, this family is also a group of businessmen who dare to take risks.

Brave people in any era always have more opportunities than others, and the people of the Columbus family undoubtedly have this quality, such as the fat man opposite who is also named Columbus, although he seems to have suffered a setback, but his courage is still admirable.

At least now no one dares to do business with the French.

"My convoy didn't go well all the way, and I had a lot of trouble while I was still halfway there," James said annoyedly, "I even wonder if someone has found out something, because there are always people who want to beat me for food, and I have decided to go as soon as possible for safety, even if someone follows me, but as long as I enter the territory of the French, it will be fine, and you must know that the French have not been fully driven into the city when I come out," James whispered as he leaned forward and pressed his chest against the edge of the table. But I could not escape from the men, and not far from the city of Rome my convoy was attacked in the greatest possible way, and they dared to attack my convoy even very close to the French. ”

"So you suspect those people aren't robbers?"

"Of course not," James nodded affirmatively, "you may think I'm shirking my responsibility, but if you meet my men and listen to what they say, you know, the mercenaries are still complaining about me, I didn't tell them that there would be so much trouble on the way, but how did I know that things would turn out like this." ”

Listening to James Columbus's complaints, Alexander nodded silently.

No one would have thought that there would be so many things to be done in the first place, just for Columbus, although even without that diary, Modillo would definitely still find someone to send food to the north, but he might not find this Columbus.

Looking at this man's depressed appearance now, Alexander felt that his current predicament was really affected by himself.

"Tell me what happened to you." Alexander asked in a low voice, "Do you think someone leaked your news?" ”

"Of course," James nodded affirmatively, "those people seem to know where I'm going from the beginning, so they just keep harassing me on the road, and they always find me after a few forks in the road even if they don't follow, without worrying that I'm going to go the other way." James said as his small eyes narrowed slowly, and his voice became much quieter, as if someone was watching him at this time, "I wondered, maybe the news had already come out before I left Naples, you know, when we said that we were going to send the grain to the north, but I don't know where you want the people who received this batch of grain to receive the goods." ”

Looking at the fat man's cautious appearance, Alexander knew that what he said was not wrong.

In order to keep it a secret, even James did not know where the grain would become the "spoils" of the French, and whether he would be willing to do such a dangerous business because of the rich rewards.

In exchange for a few stallions that no one had ever seen and a diary that I didn't know what I had written, I was able to get a business to buy and sell grain, even if it involved the French.

It's just that now, James's situation is really not very good.

"The French are now afraid to stay outside the city," James whispered, "and some say that the coalition forces may not be attacking in the winter, and now the French are having a hard time in the city of Rome, where many nobles have refused to provide them with food, and it seems that the Romans in the city have begun to oppose them." ”

Speaking of this, James looked around, then turned his head and leaned forward again, "So I think it's okay for you to bring this grain and sell it to the coalition forces, although they may pay a little less than the French, but if they really want to attack soon, they will definitely need a lot of food." ”

James looked at Alexander eagerly as he spoke, hoping to get an answer from his face.

When Alexander heard this, he could only smile bitterly in his heart.

He knew that in the eyes of this fat man, they did not hesitate to take risks to do business with the French in order to take advantage of the opportunity to earn a vote, and the French at this time would definitely not be stingy with money as long as someone was willing to sell them grain.

It was only the news that leaked that led to the looting of James's food team, and then the French had to completely retreat to the city of Rome, so that even if Alexander sent food again, it was no longer possible to send it into the city.

At this time, the main force of the French had already been driven by the coalition army led by Gonzalo to the area of Upper Italy, far from Rome, and even their connection with the city of Rome had been cut off by the coalition forces.

In this way, it seems that the only way to solve such a large amount of grain is really to sell it to the coalition forces.

However, sell to the coalition forces?

When Alexander thought of this, he thought it was not only absurd, but even ironic.

"Didn't the French try to break through?" Alexander is still thinking of a way, "Or is there a road that the coalition forces have not completely blocked?" ”

Alexander was still trying to figure out a way, the so-called siege of a city like Rome was actually unrealistic, in addition to the size of the siege force completely disproportionate to the size of the city, Rome's extensive thoroughfares also made this siege very difficult, especially since the city of Rome was across the banks of the Tiber River, if you want to completely encircle the city, it will be too difficult.

James looked at Alexander with some strange feeling, he certainly didn't know why Alexander insisted on selling grain to the French, although looking at the full wagons, thinking about the good reward that might be in return, and thinking about his bad luck made him want to cry, but the fear of being too dangerous made him feel that the money was really not easy to earn.

"Of course, the coalition forces did not completely block the Roman cars, but they often sent out patrols," James said helplessly, although he lost the convoy, but the time he had to stay outside the city of Rome allowed him to not only see the whole process of the French retreat into the city, but also saw how the coalition forces gradually strengthened the blockade of the city of Rome "They did not seem to intend to attack at first, and they also left the French with a road to the north of Rome, as if the French army was originally there, But now it's not clear where they went. ”

I know about where they went, Alexander thought to himself.

Perhaps disheartened or frightened after the crushing defeat, Charles left his army behind and returned to France without even leaving a clear order for his generals, who did not even know how to deal with the gritty coalition.

As a general of the coalition forces, Gonzalo seemed to have a real chapter with the French, and he clung to the French army and refused to stop chasing and killing all the way, and even gave up the great glory of liberating Rome for this.

However, Alexander knew that Gonzalo did this only to defeat the main force of the French as soon as possible, so that when he returned to Rome in the future, he would not be threatened by the main French army from behind.

Therefore, the French at this time must have fled not far from Piedmont, because in Alexander's memory, Gonzalo was about to inflict another heavy defeat on the French near Piedmont.

Moreover, that battle would also completely shatter Charlie's last hope for this expedition to Italy, forcing him to return to Paris honestly to re-plan his second expedition, which would never be realized.

"The French are now afraid to go out of the city," said James with chagrin, "but they had tried to cross the Tiber from the west, but the Allies had beaten them so hard that they had heard that many had died, and they had not dared to move since." ”

"Oh?"

James's words made Alexander's heart move slightly.

He seemed to have grasped something, but he didn't sort it out for a while

"Maybe we should really sell all this grain to the Coalition," James tried to try again, but seeing Alexander's indifferent expression, he could only sigh deeply and mutter, "Maybe I should go to Christopher, I heard that he is going to sea again, or I should go with him." ”

Alexander ignored the muttering fat man, knowing that Columbus was preparing for his next voyage, and that this time he would go further.

But now it had nothing to do with him, and all he had to think about was how to get the grain into the hands of the French.

A commotion came from the door of the hotel, and as the figures swayed, several soldiers wearing black velvet jackets suddenly appeared at the door of the hotel.

At the sight of these soldiers, people immediately became vigilant.

"In the name of the Bishop," a soldier shouted into the hotel room, "who told me where Queen Joanna from Naples was?" ”

Looking at these soldiers, Alexander's eyes suddenly lit up.

Under the slightly stunned gaze of Nashan and Caro, Alexander stood up.

"If you want to find His Majesty Joanna, I think I can serve the Bishop."