Standing on a reef fort not far off the coast of Valencia, you can look out over Moon Bay in the distance.

The beautiful name comes from the unique topography of the huge and high cliffs that have formed along the coast of Valencia.

Moon Bay is located on one side of this steep shore wall, and the whole bay resembles a full moon that bends around it.

The bay is not large, but the beach is calm and the sea is blue and crystal clear, and the steep mountain walls on both sides envelop the bay, making it very quiet and secluded.

The Romans had built a military port here, and with the fortress also built on a rocky island not far away, it could warn of threats from the sea at any time, so the navy stationed in Moon Bay did not have to worry about being blocked in the harbor because of the enemy's sneak attack.

The later Moors also took a fancy to this place, and they moved their fleet to Moon Bay, and they began to build a permanent castle on the rocky island.

This is the origin of the famous reef fortress off the coast of Valencia today.

The castle walls, which are almost flush with the cliffs that go straight up and down, are so integrated with the entire reef that it's hard to tell which is the cliff and which is the castle without looking closely.

However, the reef fort did not have a great reputation in the future, and in addition to being Valencia's fortress on the sea, it was also a notorious prison.

Whether it's the famous Jiangyang thieves or the nobles who have lost miserably in the struggle for power, many of the previously famous people are imprisoned in the prison of Rock Reef Island, and once inside, few people make it out alive.

And with the gradual change of the situation in the Mediterranean, although the Ottomans were menacing, they could not threaten Iberia for a while, so the size of the reef fortress defenders did not expand, but the prison territory here gradually expanded a lot.

The people who are imprisoned here are all sorts of people, some of them even more famous, so the Reef Fort is a terrible place in the eyes of the Valencians, and no normal person wants to go near this rocky island, which is synonymous with evil and bad luck in the eyes of many.

Ofleiyi was now standing in a spot on the western wall of the Reef Fort, looking out over the coast across from her.

Because of the short distance and the good weather, you can see not only the clear outline of the coast, but also the roads that stretch inland.

Ofreil, who had been almost forced to stay by Tiego, was initially dissatisfied, but soon realized that things did not seem to be as bad as he thought.

Alexander VI was from Valencia, and before he became pope, he was always called Rodrigo of Valencia in the Vatican, not only because of custom, but also because of the xenophobia of Italians.

Historically, with the exception of a very small number of popes, almost all of them came from all the dioceses of Italy, and even among the cardinals, there were very few foreigners.

Therefore, as the nephew of Sistine IV, Rodrigo Borgia was more or less excluded from the Council of Cardinals.

It's just that in the end he became Alexander VI, which many people never dreamed of when he first arrived at the Vatican.

Many people think that Valencia will be honored to have a pope, but in fact for the Valencians, the Borgia family never left the city, even though they had gone to Rome to enjoy the opulence.

Valencia belonged to the Borgia family, and it was during this time that Ofreil finally realized the meaning of this sentence.

As a wanted criminal by the king, Thiegor had begun to make a slight appearance, but as the nobles visited him, he became unscrupulous.

Maria de Luna also skillfully cooperated with her lover, and the two of them frequently visited the local magnates, and held banquets all night in their farmstead, not far from the city, where the wine and food on the table amazed even the wealthy nobles.

And even Ferdinand's officials in Valencia received their own generous gifts, which made them turn a blind eye to them, and even more so to each other.

Later, Maria de Luna simply proposed to reopen her house in Valencia, since the palace with its large rose garden was much more comfortable to live in than the farmstead outside the city.

This made the officials more or less embarrassed, because they knew that if Thiegor would have to live in the city, it seemed a bit too much to say.

After some haggling, Tiego promised never to appear in public in front of anyone, much to the comfort of the officials.

So on a sunny afternoon, the Palazzo Gandino in Valencia opened its long-closed doors again, and for a time there was a flood of visitors, and the promise made by Tiego not to appear in public disappeared with the grand masquerade ball held that night when everyone wore masks.

At the dinner, Valencia's aristocrats toasted the man in a ruby gold mask sitting next to the Duchess of Gandino to celebrate his return to the crowd, and some whispered to him that perhaps they could talk about business next.

Thiego saw the duty of a man very much, and he frequently clinked glasses with his guests, and at the same time did not hesitate to let out all the good wines hidden in the cellar and entertain them.

In addition to the male host, the young women present also noticed a strange young man.

It was a shy looking foreign youth, who sat quietly not far from the Duchess, and from where he sat seemed to be close to either the Duchess or Tiego.

Despite his mask, it was evident that the young man was good-looking, and that he looked not only physically strong, but also had the temperament of a soldier, which was very different from the Valencian nobles who had lost their bravery temperament by wine and women.

The women couldn't help but take a deep interest in this mysterious young man, and many began to inquire about his origins, but it was surprising that no one knew who this man was, let alone where he came from.

The young, mysterious, and attractive single man always attracts the attention of a woman, so much so that when Tiego tries to take the young man away, he finds it difficult to escape the hot gaze.

"Captain, if your ability to command soldiers in the future is half as strong as seducing women, we won't have to worry about anything."

Before entering a very private room on the second floor, Tiego said this in a mocking tone, and then he pushed open the door and led Ofleiil into the room.

The already low noise of discussion came to an abrupt end as the door opened, and several people in the room looked towards the door.

Seeing the strange young man who was brought in by Tiego, those who were standing or standing couldn't help but show a vigilant look.

None of them were wearing masks, and Oflaiyi recognized several of them at once.

These men had all visited Tiego in the farms outside the city before, and they had different identities, but one thing they had in common was that each of them was a key figure in the power of Valencia.

"I've brought you a friend," Thiegor gestured introductory, "and if you think we're going to be a little risky, he's the best insurance, well, friends, let's all be honest." ”

As he spoke, he held out his hand to Oflei.

Offleiil took off the mask on his face, and seeing that the men were still full of doubt, he glanced at Tiego, and after he nodded in acquiescence, Ofleiil said, "I am Ogri'Onor Ofleiu, Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Duchy of Rome Thesia, and also the newly appointed Minister of War of Castile. ”

There were a few low gasps in the room, and the people sitting stood up one after another, and they looked at each other in amazement, as if they were at a loss for what to do with the unexpected news.

"Guys, do you have any questions?" Seeing the surprised look of those people, Tiego asked with a smile, and then continued without waiting for anyone to speak, "Since there is no problem, let's discuss what to do?" ”

Some people seemed to want to refute Tiego's attitude of not giving others a chance to speak at all, but seeing that everyone else acquiesced, they still didn't speak.

"We're going to take Valencia," Thiegor said without hesitation what the men were going to do under the guise of a masquerade, "We've all talked about it many times before, but now we're not going to argue about whether to do it, but how to do it." ”

This time no one questioned the fact that after so many years of going back and forth between the city and the farm, arguing about whether such an extreme measure should be taken, now, as Tiego said, now that he had made up his mind, the only thing to consider was how to succeed and avoid failure.

"The archbishop is behind us," said a man who, though dressed in a magnificent black robe, always behaved inadvertently with the peculiarity of a clergyman, "the archbishop has asked me to bring you a message, and he will always pray for us, and he will always declare his support for us to the Valencians." ”

"The nobility of Valencia is for the Borgias," another began, "and we know that His Majesty the Pope is like a father to each of us, that he did a great deal for us all when he was the Archbishop of Valencia, and that he has always sheltered us. ”

The man's words were echoed by the people, who began to recall what Alexander VI had done for them, and Thiegor explained in a low voice to Ofleiuil: "When the Pope first ascended the throne, on the grounds that he was born in Valencia, he not only exempted Valencia from tithes for ten years, but also asked Ferdinand for the same years of absence. ”

Ofleiyi nodded slightly, he had heard of this before, but only by being there could he truly appreciate how grateful the local people were to Alexander VI, and what kind of great influence the Borgia family had in Valencia.

It is probably because of this certainty that he dares to take risks. Ofleiyi glanced at Tiego next to him.

In Ofleiil's mind, Thiego had always been a businessman, and although he had heard that he had teased the rebels and even Gonzalo in the Battle of Seville, it was also very unexpected for Ofleiil to go into battle shirtless and take action in person.

"What? No, how could you think that. ”

When a conspiracy was over, and the men either returned to the ball to continue their fun, or quietly left through the back door, Tiego said in surprise to Ofrei, who had told him how he felt.

"I'm a merchant, and I'm going to hold a key position in Her Majesty's court, I'm not a soldier, I can't hold a sword or a gun, so it's up to you to do all these things."

"What about you?"

"Well, I'll go back to the country with the Duchess in tonight, and then I'll go home, and the Duchess will go to her Gandino's territory."

Seeing Thiegor look like he was taking it for granted, Ofleiil began to think that this man was thinking of the merchant he had imagined.

Like that Grognin, he always hides in a safe place and points fingers, and then when all the dust falls, he jumps out to reap the benefits.

Oflaiyi felt a little annoying for this man.

On the second day, he had gone out of the city with Maria de Luna in an early car, and when he reached the gates, he did not forget to greet the officers who were guarding the city, and asked him if he had had a good time at the ball the previous day.

Then in the tacit laughter of both sides, the carriage went out of town.

They did not stay long at the farm, and María de Luna, who had long since packed up her duties, left the farm at noon with her son for the Gandino territory.

Tiego also brought a few guards with him to return to his hometown on Balearic Island.

Before parting, Thiego asked Ofleiil very seriously: "Tell me how sure you are, that if you fail, I will immediately flee with my family to Rome and Thesia, but if then our efforts for so long will be completely in vain." ”

Ofleiyi thought for a moment, and he admitted that he was actually nervous, and unlike previous commands and plans, he was suitable for a group of complete strangers to work with, and he was not going to command an army like the Roman Thesian army he was familiar with.

It's just that he also knows that Thiegor is right, and this is a great opportunity.

For the Duke, who was now at war with Ferdinand, Valencia would undoubtedly be a great help if something happened.

"You just have to ask people every day for news from Valencia," said Oflei, "and of course be prepared to run for your life with your whole family in case of failure." ”

"I don't want to hear bad news," Tiego said, "You know, I have 4 children at home, and I used to have a bad life and I had to run around every day to support my family, and now I finally have a chance to get ahead, I have to make my family get ahead in Bariari, I have to make my son have a good job, so don't fail in the end." ”

Listening to Thieg's words, Ofleiyi was a little surprised.

What he saw was that Tiego had been with Maria de Luna all the time, and he seemed to have no idea of having his own home, which was one of the reasons why Ofleiuil, who had a strong sense of family, was very uncomfortable.

It's just that he didn't expect that this businessman actually cares about his family very much.

"Don't worry, even defeat will only delay you a little bit of time to get ahead," Ofleiyi smiled, "This war between Lord Ferdinand and Ferdinand will definitely be won, believe me, this is not blind optimism, but the decision of the armies of both sides." ”

Tiego nodded, he knew that Ofleyi was right, in addition to the Castilian army, the almost new Sicilian army could be powerful with his own eyes, and it was Gonzalo who commanded such a coalition army.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is almost a contest of military power between two different eras.

At the port, the two men boarded the long-awaited galleon Clavier, a ship used by the East India Company to transport silk, which would sail all the way to Genoa, stopping at Barearic on the way.

In the name of delivering supplies to the people on the reef fort, the cargo ship temporarily docked at the reef fort, and Ofrey quietly landed on the island with the supplies brought to the island.

There, a special army of castle defenders and prison inmates was waiting for him.

The cargo ship then turned southeast and sailed towards the Balearic Islands.

Standing on the west wall of the castle, watching the cargo ships disappear into the sea, Ofrey looked in the direction of the coast.

"According to the plan, first of all, Moon Bay," Ofleiil said to the commander of the garrison and the warden standing aside, "and seal the Aragonese fleet there in the harbor, and everything will be much easier." ”

The commander of the garrison nodded silently, and he also looked at the clearly visible entrance to the bay in the direction of Moon Bay, where there was an Aragonese fleet that had been stationed during the retreat after a failed battle with Redbeard.

"Tell your people, I don't need them to be brave, but I want them to follow orders, and it's up to you to make them understand."

Oflei's expression was calm, at this time he could not see the shadow of the little stonemason at all, and he was no longer a shy and restrained young man at the ball, at this time he was the chief of staff of the coalition forces, the Minister of War of Castile.

The commander of the garrison nodded again, he was a taciturn man, but the stained whip in his hand also showed that he was a cruel and ruthless man.

The sea was calm and the sails were outstretched to make the cargo ship sail smoothly towards Mallorca, the largest island in the Balearic Islands.

Standing on the deck, Tiego was in a mood and excited, he hadn't been home for a long time, thinking about the children and his wife at home, he suddenly felt a little guilty.

It's not very far from Valencia to Mallorca, and when the sun sets and then rises, then westward again, the shadow of Mallorca can already be seen.

Tiego's home is in Palma, the largest seaside city in Mallorca, which bears the same name as Palma in Italy, and also has many traces of the Romans, which is why the city is also called Palma.

When Tiego knocked on his door late at night, his return surprised and excited the whole family.

His wife hugged her husband and kissed him non-stop, while the children kept screaming around their father.

After a long time of making a fuss, Tiego blasted the children back to his room like a flock of sheep, and then walked into the bedroom under the eyes of his wife, who was almost angry.

But the day after he returned, Tiego got busy.

Without any explanation, he asked the servants in the house to pack them softly, and told his wife that she didn't have to care about anything but valuables.

"But now at home, these are your years of hard work." The woman looked at the contents of the house reluctantly, "And why should we move away suddenly, or go so far away, I have never left Palma in my life, but you told me that I was going to Rome." ”

"No, no, neither," said Tiego, as he busily instructed the people to pack up their things, "we don't necessarily have to move, but if we do, trust me that my new home has everything you can think of, and everything you can't think of." ”

From that day on, Tiego sent his men to inquire about the news, and he spent a lot of money to make the islands closer to Valencia to live permanently, and to inquire about all the news about Valencia from the local people who came and went on the shore, and then rushed back to report to him in every detail.

The woman noticed that Tiego was strange, and when she thought about the rumors that her husband seemed to be having an affair with a noble lady, and when she thought about her husband's sudden return home, she couldn't help but wonder if some jealous aristocratic lord was chasing her man.

The wait is always long, and every day is spent in anxiety.

In the harbor, there are always two ships on standby, and that is what he has prepared for himself.

Finally, one day, a person he arranged brought back important news.

The Archbishop of Valencia suddenly declared Valencia a papal patron domain.

Hearing this, Tiego, who was standing at the door of the house, suddenly jumped up, and then he rushed into the house and hugged his oncoming wife and shouted excitedly: "We don't have to move, no, we still have to move, we have to go to Valencia, and then Zaragoza and Madrid!" ”