Gurt Fugger returned to his abode in a slight distraction.

What is happening today is rare, or arguably unique in his decades of life so far.

When his uncle, Jacob Fugger, sent him the news from Kotschach, the Imperial Palace, Gurt was not very concerned about it.

After all, the whole family is now busy with a big thing, and if this is done successfully, then the Fugger family will become the richest family consortium in Europe, and possibly the world.

This was done by making a huge political contribution to Emperor Maximian to help him fight against the King of France in the near future, in exchange for the right to mine in Hungary, which is known as the largest copper mine in Europe.

The matter was so important to the Fuggers that even the news brought by the Kotschach and the accompanying seemingly absurd, but in fact did not attract the attention of the Fuggers if they were successful.

But Jacob Fugger saw something different in that plan, and with his superhuman instincts, the elder felt that the way the free trade zone described in the plan was likely to have a surprising effect.

It was for this reason that even at this time, Gurt Fugger was sent to Pisa by his uncle to see for himself whether the way described in the plan could really bring more profit to these ports than before.

If he could, Goult didn't care to simply throw money in the port, or simply buy the rights to run the port, which is why Machiavelli got the word that the Jews of Pisa might be investing in the port.

For the Jews, whether in Pisa, Rome, or elsewhere, if they were the veins that kept wealth flowing like blood, then the Fuggers were the heart of the blood.

But Gurt never expected that in Pisa, a place that was not favored, he would meet someone he didn't expect.

This little nobleman, Alexandre Juliant Cambrai, not only mentioned the great Hungarian copper mine they were planning, but more importantly, he pointed out the problem that the Fugger family had been worried about.

Although Emperor Maximian had agreed to sell the mining rights, the fact that another person was involved made the matter difficult and tricky.

Vladislas II, King of Bohemia, was also the King of Hungary, and this King had been competing with Emperor Maximian for the succession to the Hungarian throne, so there were many contradictions, even to the point of rivalry.

Because of this, in the past, the Fugger family was too close to Emperor Maximian, not only did not gain any favor with Vladislas II, but even the business was often repeatedly troubled, and now the Fugger family actually opened mines on Hungarian land with the permission of the emperor, which was not only a huge financial loss for Vladislas II, but also an almost insulting act.

Because of this, some of the Fugger family's business in Bohemia has been frequently reported with bad news, in addition to being harassed by the Bohemians, there is even news that Vladislas II has spoken out openly to support the local merchants to unite and drive the Fugger family's business out of Bohemia and even Hungary!

This was a very troublesome situation for the Fugger family, and even the old Jacob, who had been through the storm for a long time, felt that he was struggling to move forward in such a difficult situation, and he was struggling to think about how to solve the problem in front of him.

For the Fuggers, the Hungarian copper mines had to be won, because they were not looking at the huge profits from the sale of copper ore, but on the monopoly that determined the price of copper in Europe by controlling the largest mining area.

For this, the Fugger family, at a huge cost that was almost suffocating, decided to provide Maximian with the cost of the war.

But they were not willing to give up the Bohemian business, and in addition to the equally lucrative profits, the elder Jacob feared that the confrontation with Vladislas II would lead the king to ruin their Hungarian mining business.

After all, although Maximian had the high status of emperor, the king of Hungary was Vladislas II.

This is the fact that the Fugger family is about to usher in a huge leap forward, but at the same time it is facing unavoidable crises.

At this time, an inconspicuous young nobleman suddenly said that he could help the Fugger family solve this unavoidable difficulty, which made Guert Fugger not only surprised, but also worried.

Gurt wasn't thinking about whether Alexander was bragging or simply lying, at least that he did.

He wondered how the young nobleman knew all this, and although he didn't say it very clearly, but in just a few words, Gurt already knew that this man had definitely said the key point.

The Emperor's conflict with the King of Bohemia, and the dilemma now faced by the Fugger family, even vaguely heard Alexander hinting at the Fugger family's ambition to control the copper price throughout Europe.

How did he know?

Gurt was shocked, but this was not the most important thing, the important thing was that the young man told him that he could solve this problem for the Fugger family!

Gurt was moved.

The Fogel family is not very prosperous now, as a family that has risen too quickly, although they have relied on the intelligence and keen sense of smell of the two generations before and after to grasp and almost quickly grow the family, but compared with other families that have accumulated for several generations, the Fogel family has huge wealth at the same time, but also faces many problems.

One of them is how to choose an heir.

Although Jacob Fogel, the head of the family, is only in the prime of life now, everyone knows that in times like these, a sudden serious illness can kill a person, regardless of how much wealth and status he has.

Because of this, all of the adult descendants of the Fugger family have the opportunity to become future heads of the family, after all, their uncle Jacob inherited the family business as the third son rather than the first.

This invisibly stimulated the young Fuggers and made them know that as long as they had enough talent and performance, not even the eldest son had the opportunity to inherit the family business.

Goult was one of them, and he thought he had the talent and brains, which made him equally want to be the head of the family.

Because of this, Gurt was very disgusted with coming to Pisa, and he even felt that he had left his family to come to Pisa at this critical time, perhaps because someone in the family had secretly manipulated him.

But what he didn't expect was that this errand that was not favored by him suddenly popped up with someone who surprised him.

Gurt ended his meeting with Alexander almost in a hurry, knowing that even if he continued, he would probably make things worse due to lack of concentration, and he needed to calm down and think about it.

Guert could guess that Alexander dared to show him this bargaining chip, probably because he was sure that he would not be snatched away after taking it out, so it was supposed that he had some kind of unknown or reliable relationship in the Bohemian court.

Gurt felt that if this was the case, it would not only make sense, but perhaps it would be possible to resolve the conflict with Vladislas II, as Alexander had said, after all, for both the Emperor and the King of Bohemia, the problem was still in interests, and if a way could be found to solve this problem, then things would not be difficult.

As for how to solve it, Goult believes that there is no door in the world that Florin cannot knock on.

Now all he had to think about was how to get that Cambrai to lead him to the front of the door.

Returning to his residence, Gurt brought out the plan again, knowing that Alexander seemed to be interested in it, which made him feel that he had another good bargaining chip.

It was only after carefully reading this plan that seemed a little whimsical, but after careful analysis and felt reasonable, Gurt couldn't help but start muttering in his heart.

He couldn't tell what it was like, maybe his uncle knew, because his uncle had said that he had been in a trance or hesitant to decide on major family issues a few times before.

Jacob Sr. called it a crossroads, a moment of hesitation and apprehension before facing a fateful decision, and Gurt remembers his uncle saying that it was a "God-given inspiration" that made him make the final choice.

It may sound strange, but making such a big decision is not so much a stroke of luck as a matter of careful consideration of the trust you place in yourself.

Gurt decided to take a closer look at the plan again, after all, the idea of proposing to take advantage of the opportunity to buy so many coastal ports at a time when the Ottomans could launch a major attack on Europe at any time was a bit absurd.

Even so, Goult seriously revisited the plan, and he couldn't help but recall every word the young man had said during his previous meeting with Alexander.

Then he suddenly remembered that in that house Alexander had asked him, "I wonder what your family thinks about the Ottoman invasion."

Gurt's eyes narrowed slightly, and he stroked the short beard on his chin.

He realized that Alexander could not have been unaware of the movements of the Ottomans, at least it was said that there was now an Ottoman envoy in Rome, so why did he come up with such an obviously unreasonable plan?

This Gombray can't be an idiot, as you can tell from the fact that he made the pizza so impressive.

That being the case, the only explanation is that the plan is indeed profitable.

Once again, Gurt looked at the plan almost word for word, trying to find some clues that would allow him to see through what Alexander might be hiding within.

However, he soon discovered that this was apparently futile, as there was nothing to be found in it that suggested that the plan was plausible.

"Unless, that Gombray negotiated terms with the Ottomans, the war would only bring down those ports."

Gurt pondered.

But he immediately disproved this absurd idea, and Gurt did not think that Alexander had the capital to negotiate with the Ottomans.

With Gurt's knowledge of the Ottomans, it is impossible to get them to be tempted without paying a huge price.

And Alexander clearly didn't have that weight.

Thinking so, Gurt felt a little confused.

But if it weren't for that, he really couldn't think of how Alexander could have come up with such an obviously risky plan.

After all, even the most stupid person should know that no one would be willing to take such a big risk with money without a sufficient basis to convince the other party.

Although it was only a rough calculation, Gurt was already stunned by the sheer amount of money.

But even so, Gurt knew that he could not leave Pisa, and that he would even have to stay in the city for a little longer if needed, because his promise to help the Fugger family settle the Hungarian copper mining rights was too important.

In this matter, Gurt could not but be cautious.

He decided to send the news back to his house in Augsburg at once, and at the same time pondered how to reply to Alexander.

As a businessman, Gurt knows the role of chips, and now that Alexander has shown his cards, it is up to him to deal with it.

Gurt thought to himself as he walked to the open window, and accidentally saw a group of ragged civilians walking out of the street.

Listening to the strange tones of the people who passed by as they spoke, Goult felt as if he had found the key to how to deal with Alexander.

Sending Gurt away, Alexander stayed in Lucrechia's house, and since he had already made a decision, he did not intend to return Lucrezia to Alfonso, Duke of Billy Shelly.

Lucrezia was licking the strawberries with a silver dinner knife with her tongue, enjoying the sweet and sour taste, and Lucrezia's eyes were slightly curved into crescents with a smile.

"My father has sent a letter," as if he thought it was a good time to say something, Lucrezia moved forward, and then looked seriously at Alexander's face, "Do you want to know why?" ”

Alexander's hand, which had been holding a small piece of pomegranate seed, paused lightly, and he looked at Lucrezia silently, and he still did not quite understand what he was thinking about this beautiful little woman.

If it had been, perhaps he didn't care much about Lucrechia's whereabouts, but after that night at Lady Olgara's house, he could no longer ignore his heart.

This is a very simple woman, maybe because of her personality, her feelings are erratic, and sometimes it is even easy to see strange thoughts, but when she is serious, she will give everything she has.

Alexander could not forget that when he heard that Caesar was coming, Lucrezia shouted to him hoarsely, "Run! It was that moment that made him decide never to let go of this woman, even if one day he wanted to leave because of her erratic personality, Alexander had already decided to keep her even if he was forced to do so!

Vaguely sensing Alexander's more intimate attitude towards her than before, Lucrezia couldn't help but rejoice.

"My father said that Alfonso, Duke of Billy Shelly, had agreed to go to Rome," Lucrezia paused, and when she saw that Alexander did not react, her flaxen brow furrowed slightly, "Don't you want to say something?" ”

Alexander put down the pomegranate seed in his hand and silently looked at Lucrezia, who was sitting across the table.

The bright red strawberry is half-contained between the two lightly opened lips at this time, and as long as you press lightly, the strawberry will be completely bitten, and the pale red juice will slowly flow down the corners of the lips.

However, Lucrezia only gently took the fruit in her mouth, and Alexander knew that she should not have done it intentionally, but it was this unintentional act that made her burst with a mesmerizing charm.

Alexander slowly pushed the plate containing the pomegranate seeds aside, first at Lucrezia, who was slightly angry, and then suddenly grabbed her wrist with a strong force, and before she could let out an exclamation of surprise, Lucrezia's body had been dragged across the table, and she was forced to lie on her back.

"Remember when I asked you if you would like to marry Alfonso of Billy Shelly," Alexander pressed his hands tightly on the smooth shoulders of Lucrezia, who was about to struggle, "You said no, you know that anyone who makes a promise is responsible for his words and actions, so it's time for you to pay for your choice." ”

As he spoke, Alexander's lips covered the lips of Lucrezia, who was about to speak.

Lucrezia pushed hard in some panic, she didn't know why Alexander's reaction was so big today, which made her a little uneasy, but then she was swallowed up by the flames that Alexander had ignited on her body, and her body trembled slightly with the kiss that Alexander had landed on her.

As the skirt on her body fell to the ground messily, and when the ensuing great pleasure swept through her body, Lucrezia's head hanging down outside the table couldn't help but struggle to lift up, and the tight throat that had been suppressed as much as possible finally let out a high-pitched moan that could not be contained.

Outside the window, Zhizhi kept chirping, and the slanting afternoon sun had gradually dyed a deep rose red, and the setting sun reflected the whole room with a layer of pale gold, and also painted a light on the face of Lucrezia, who was sleeping soundly in Alexander's arms.

With a slight movement, a crisp sound came from his side, Alexander tilted his head to look, then picked up a scattered strawberry from the table and gently placed it on Lucrezia's snow-white chest, which was lying on her back.

The red strawberries and snow-white skin complement each other, making Alexander feel a faint impulse again.

Feeling a slight coolness, Lucrezia slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw Alexander, who was gently sucking strawberries from the snow mound on her chest, Lucrezia's face first showed a hint of shyness, and then she gently inserted a hand into Alexander's hair, and her fingers gently stroked and pressed slightly, signaling him to lower his head again.

"Do you just want to eat this strawberry?"

Lucrezia asked in a low voice, she was still a little shy, thinking that the two of them were messing around at the dinner table, and she thought that the servants and maids outside who heard the sound must be laughing at her behind her back.

"Of course not, I have more charming strawberries that I haven't tasted."

Alexander smiled and said that he was in a good mood at this time, and the invitation of the beauty in front of him made him even more ready to taste the delicious food in front of him.

It was only a soft knock on the door that interrupted the ecstatic atmosphere in the room, and Alexander listened intently to make sure that someone was knocking, and then he sat up.

Just looking at the tableware on the table that had become a mess due to the fierce movements of the two before, and the clothes that had been thrown everywhere, Alexander could only scratch his head helplessly.

"Wait a minute, I'll be here in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Uliu's voice rang out outside the door, and then there was no more sound.

Alexander whispered to Lucrezia not to move, hurriedly dressed, and then opened the door and walked out quickly.

A little further down the hallway, Ulliu was talking to an elderly maid who had been sent by Alexander VI to serve Lucrezia.

Seeing Alexander walk out of the room, the maid who was supposed to greet him was stopped by Ulliu's raised hand, and she didn't hurry over until Alexander signaled.

"Go and help your young lady clean up," Alexander commanded in a low voice, and after a slight pause he continued, "make some more hot water, and help her make her bed, she is a little tired this afternoon." ”

The maid nodded silently, then walked quietly into the room, looking at her back, Alexander couldn't help but look back at Ulliu.

The Moorish shrugged his shoulders slightly, as if he wanted to say that it had nothing to do with him, but then he tilted his head: "Master, I didn't say anything, I just told her not to talk casually." ”

"I know."

Alexander muttered in a low voice, he knew that Alexander VI must have told them the same before the servants came, but the thought of the Moors telling them the same gave him the illusion that he seemed to be cheating on the outside.

"What's the matter?" Alexander's expression grew serious.

"Sir, Carlo has returned, bringing with him a large number of Agri mountain people." The Moors immediately replied with a smile.