Venice, the capital of the water and the castle of wealth, has been the place where countless people have pursued their dreams and eventually their dreams have been shattered, and there have been people who have reached the pinnacle of their lives despite being poor.

Venice is a beautiful but dangerous city, where ambitions and ideals are separated by a water, and success and failure often occur overnight.

It is the richest city in Europe and the most powerful naval power in Europe.

The wind was already rising on the sea, and the undulating sails could be seen between the waves, and the warships gathered in the harbor were so hideous and terrifying that if anyone looked through the firing ports of the black guns and the boats, one doubted that they could at any moment breathe the flames of death at themselves.

The ramming horns of the warship shimmered faintly in the sunlight, and the hull of the ship, which was overweighed and occasionally tilted forward with the waves, seemed to plunge headlong into the dark bottom of the sea at any moment, and between these terrible sea giants, countless small boats shuttled to and fro to deliver all kinds of supplies to the ship.

The Venetians made all preparations for the war, the government spent a lot of money to build a fleet, and at the same time recruited the armed merchant ships of the merchants to fill the active service, and many Venetian merchants also generously donated their ships, either they leased their ships to the Venetian navy, or contributed the ignorant reserves of their own chambers of commerce in the various ports along the coast for free, at this time the Venetians showed an unprecedented unity, and their common enemy was the Ottoman navy!

The threat posed to Venice by the Ottomans was so great that both their overseas colonies and the sea routes on which the Venetians survived were now under serious threat from the Ottomans.

Although Crete, the largest maritime colony, was not in danger of falling for the time being, the estrangement from Venice proper, which had been under siege, had made it increasingly difficult for the Venetians to control Crete.

Although there were also rumors that someone seemed to have taken advantage of the opportunity to encroach on their influence on Crete, these rumors were suppressed by the Venetian government.

It is a strange phenomenon to say that although the power of Venice has always been firmly in the hands of the largest oligarchs such as the Barbariges, unless the safety of Venice is at stake, the conquest is often ignored by the people, but this time the government has come forward to punish some people who seem to be overzealous in Cretan affairs, although these people are arrested and released after paying a fine, but people still smell something unusual from it.

It's just that the shadow of war has been hanging over Venice, which makes many people not think too much about it, because soon they will have a decisive battle with the mighty Ottoman navy.

All Venetians were so enthusiastic about the great battle that almost decided the fate of Venice in the Mediterranean that in addition to building warships, some chambers offered to provide mercenaries to the government or simply an interest-free loan, and in return, it was the most successful investment for them to secure Venice's future trade at sea.

In this war for wealth, every Venetian has done his part, and even some artists have thrown themselves into the fierce preparation for the defense of maritime interests, which is very rare in many places.

A beautiful little boy walked briskly along the street, wearing a black peasant outfit that was often passed down from the peasants, and many families also wore it to their children, because they were always naughty and dirty, and this peasant costume was easy to change.

The boy's clothes were also dirty, but not mud but dyes of various colors, which were not new in this era or in Venice, although not comparable to Florence in a place with a full artistic atmosphere, but there were also many outstanding masters in Venice, and it can be seen from the way the boy dressed that he should be a student of a painter or an apprentice in the gallery.

Students and apprentices are always different, students are more pure, and apprentices have to bear certain work obligations, but many later famous painters also started from apprentices, so the boy did not feel embarrassed at all because of his slightly sloppy and playful appearance, on the contrary, he raised his head and sang the tune he heard from the street artists the day before, and ran through the narrow riverside street, and then ran over two small bridges and a doorway in a row. I came to a small but lively square.

The small square is semicircular, and in the middle of the square stands an old stone sculpture full of exotic style, and a fountain is just below the stone statue, and the water from the fountain flows right at the foot of the stone statue.

The square is enclosed by a circle of houses, and there is a stone-paved stone road that forms a ring that allows horse-drawn carriages to run around the square, but because there is only one street entrance for horse-drawn carriages to enter and exit, few horse-drawn carriages actually enter the square for convenience.

But today it was different, and as the boy walked through the doorway, he happened to see several horsemen slowly passing through the crowd into the small square in a carriage.

It was a black carriage, which looked sturdy, and there was no sign on the body to indicate who was sitting in it, but the strangely dressed guards around the carriage showed that the people in the carriage were different.

Because of the large number of people in the square, the carriage walked very slowly, and as the carriage passed by the boy, he seemed to faintly see a pair of unusually bright eyes through the crevice of the curtain that floated slightly from the window.

The boy continued to walk forward, and to his surprise the carriage in front of him seemed to be in the same direction as he did, and when he approached the door of his teacher's gallery, he was somewhat surprised to find that the carriage had stopped in front of the gallery, and several guards had dismounted one after another, separating the people at the door between the carriage and the gallery gate.

The boy was a little hesitant to continue walking, but thinking of the teacher's sternness, he could only stubbornly walk over, but naturally he was stopped by the soldiers who didn't seem to be so easy to mess with.

The boy looked at the guards in front of him with some uneasiness but curiosity, he had never seen such a strange and majestic military uniform that the Venetian soldiers' uniforms did not have.

The red uniforms looked very striking, and the white feathers on the helmets that hung down to the back of their heads swayed back and forth, but what fascinated him the most was the half-length armor on the soldiers' bodies, which were fastened with the brass buckles of military uniforms, which looked full of power.

The door opened, and a young nobleman came out, and then he turned slightly and stretched out his hand, but to the surprise of the boy and many people around, a girl suddenly jumped out of the car.

It was indeed suddenly, and she jumped out of the carriage with such a "poof", and when her feet hit the ground, she seemed to let out an inaudible cheer.

This was a girl who seemed to be full of health and vitality unlike any noble lady, and although she was dressed in splendid clothes, they seemed to restrain her, and although she immediately straightened up, and handed her hand to the young man, and at the same time tried to make a weak appearance, her flexible demeanor "betrayed" her.

And the young man kept smiling, whether it was her lively jumping out of the carriage or trying to keep quiet, in the eyes of the young man it seemed to be as pleasing to the eye as a picture scroll of activity, so he kept smiling, as if he had been watching the girl even if she didn't do anything for a day.

The boy was a little stunned the moment he saw the girl jump out of the carriage, he looked at the girl who was nearly a head taller than him, although he knew that it was rude to look at people like that, and it was obvious that the other party was noble, but he still looked ignorant and immature as if he had been poked by something.

"This is the gallery of Master Bellini?" The young man greeted one of the guards, and when he answered in the affirmative, he took the maiden by the hand and prepared to enter the house.

"I'm sorry," a voice that sounded like it had taken courage to come from the side, and the young man looked back to see a boy standing on the side of the road, trying to look calm, "may I ask you for something about Mr. Bellini?" ”

"You're a student of the Master?" The young man did not rush into the gallery and turned to walk towards the boy, which seemed to make him more nervous, but from the way he kept glancing to the side, the boy seemed to care about the way the girl who was being held by the young man looked at him.

"Yes, sir." The boy hesitated, and felt that he should add an honorific: "I am a new student accepted by the teacher, and I am studying with the teacher." ”

The young man nodded, and then he looked down at the boy who kept peeping, and then tilted his head to look at the curious girl next to him, as if he remembered something, he bent down slightly, held his knees with his hands, squinted his eyes slightly, and asked curiously, "Can I know what your name is?" ”

"Vecellio," replied the boy with a little pride, but as if he didn't think the surname sounded too loud to attract the attention of the girl next to him, he continued in a louder voice, "Titian Vecellio!" ”

The young man slowly straightened up, lowered his head and looked at the little man in front of him with a strange look, and after a while, when the boy began to feel uneasy, the young man slowly nodded and said something strange: "That's right, of course you are Titian Vecellio, and you can see from such a young age that you have been infatuated with women." ”

Giovanni Bellini, a famous painter in Venice, was probably the longest-living of all the people Giovanni had ever known.

At least this year, the master who is known as the founder of the Venetian school is 70 years old, and as far as Alexander knows, this master will continue to produce many excellent works in the next ten years, which also lays a solid foundation for his two most proud students to bring the Venetian school to glory in the future.

Bellini, Giorgione and Titian, the three masters and apprentices were the founders of the Venetian School and the heroes who allowed it to occupy a place in the star-studded history of Italian art.

It's just that although Bellini is already famous, Giorgione is still only famous, and as for Titian, the guy who likes to go into the boudoir to paint private paintings of the noblewomen in the future, is still a little kid who only dares to peek at beauties secretly.

Looking at the young man opposite, Bellini was respectful and cautious, he knew the power of this young man, and he also knew what kind of influence this person had.

Alexandre Giulian Gombray, Count of Montina and Regent of Pisa, Lord of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily, and perhaps other titles, Bellini is not very clear, but these are not the most important.

Bellini was often less concerned with anything other than painting, but even then he had heard of this man.

When the news of the war in Bucharest came, there was a name associated with the war.

Alexandre Juliant Cambrai, defender of Bucharest and hero of the resistance to the Ottoman invasion, was known even before the man arrived in Venice, and when he arrived, the grand welcome ceremony held in the name of the House of 500 in Venice created the highest standard for welcoming foreign nobles and generals in Venice for many years.

So when Bellini saw the young count, who was even called the conqueror by some, come unexpectedly to his studio, the aged painter was unabashedly surprised.

"Master, I hope my presence has not interfered with your work," Alexander said to Bellini, who was already gray-haired and covered with deep wrinkles crawling all over his cheeks, "I have taken the liberty of visiting this time in the hope that you will paint a portrait of us. ”

Bellini looked at Alexander in surprise, and he couldn't help but look at the young girl next to the count, who had been silent but seemed curious.

Bellini knew that the girl, or indeed the whole of Venice, was the biggest topic of conversation right now.

The last of the descendants of the Eastern Roman Empire, the lonely girl, the life of the fugitive, and the legendary experience of inspiring and inspiring countless warriors in Bucharest despite not being able to utter a single word, all made the Venetians consider this incredible girl a miracle.

"Our portrait," Alexander reached out to Sophia beside him, and glared fiercely at the pesky little kid next to him.

Speaking of which, if it weren't for Titian Vecellio's young age, Alexander would really not be at ease with letting Sophia meet him, after all, thinking about the fact that this guy has been famous for painting nudes for beautiful ladies all his life, Alexander feels itchy.

Of course, he wouldn't admit that it was jealousy, and he wasn't generous enough to allow this guy to stare at his woman all day long, so even when he saw Titian Vecellio now, he couldn't help but hate this little kid.

Bellini looked at Alexander with some strange looks, and he could sense that the count didn't seem to like him very much as a proud schoolboy, but he didn't pay much attention to it, and he was seriously considering the count's request at this time.

Painting portraits of aristocratic figures was originally a way for many painters to make a name for themselves or seek funding, and many painters racked their brains in order to get such a good opportunity.

The Count of Montina and the Archduchess of Wallachia were so excited that anyone could not sleep at the chance to paint them.

But Bellini wasn't thinking about himself.

The old master knew very well that he was too old and that the fame he deserved was enough to sustain the rest of his life, and he wished he had saved this rare opportunity for his protégé.

However, Bellini was also worried that such a suggestion might cause the Count to be displeased, and he first agreed to it, and then said carefully: "Your Highness, my lordship, it is my honor to paint for you, but I am afraid that I will disappoint you, I am so old that I can hardly even hold a paintbrush, and my eyes are almost unable to see clearly, and sometimes I cannot tell the difference between red and black. ”

With Bellini's words, Sophia, who was looking around curiously, slowly turned her head, she was a little puzzled at first, and then asked Alexander quickly with a gesture, and when she got a positive answer, Sophia's face was instantly covered with a layer of anger.

The exercise in the Prague court and the experience in Bucharest made Sophia at this time completely different from the bohemian girl who would only shout angrily when she was angry, and looking at Sophia, who instantly changed from innocent romance to majesty because of dissatisfaction, Alexander suddenly felt that he didn't know which one he wanted to see her.

"I beg your pardon, I think there was a misunderstanding," Bellini bowed slightly to Sofia, "I am old, but I can recommend you another painter who will please you, my student Giorgione." ”

As he spoke, the master stepped aside and stretched out his hand to introduce the young man beside him to the two young nobles in front of him.

Looking at the undisguised smugness on Bellini's face, and then at the young painter who seemed to be a little restrained, Alexander couldn't help but smile lightly.

He had already guessed this possibility before he came, just as Giorgione helped and encouraged his teacher to create the masterpiece "The Banquet of the Gods" when Bellini was nearly 80 years old, and Bellini has been sparing no effort to promote and help his proud disciples to get more opportunities.

And Alexandria can't help but admit that in his impression, Giorgione is indeed more suitable to be the author of this portrait, and Bellini is more in line with the painting he envisioned later.

As for Titian, Alexander shook his head, and let the little boy play with him, and in the future he would be his promising private painter.

60 Florin, when Giorgione sincerely offered the price of the painting, he did not hold out any hope, but after all, the portraits of the two monarchs were to be painted in this painting, and perhaps the less money would make the two distinguished guests unhappy, but when he saw that Alexander was slightly stunned when he heard the price, the young painter immediately prepared to change his mind.

But before he could speak, Alexander had already said: "It's only 60 florins, should I be happy that I have saved a sum of money, or should I be annoyed that I am only worth so much money?" ”

Seeing the embarrassment on the young artist's face and the embarrassment of not knowing how to answer, Alexander had already waved his hand: "Okay, I'll pay 100 florins, but I hope to see this painting in four months." ”

Giorgione looked at Alexander with some strange looks, he didn't know why the count had made such a time request, but the honorarium of 100 florins made him not want to inquire about it at all.

"Sophia, then, you are going to be in Venice for a while," Alexander whispered to her as he got back to the carriage, taking her by the waist of Sophia, "I will soon be leaving, for time is running out, but there is still some work to be done." ”

"Huh?" Sophia suddenly stretched out her hand and pointed to Bellini's studio, which was already far away, with an inquiring look.

"That's right, Sophia, I'm not here just to paint a portrait," Alexander's gaze also looked through the car window at the fading studio, "so some guests will visit us tomorrow." ”

Sophia's head tilted to the side, and her face showed her peculiar look of doubt.

Seeing her like this, Alexander's heart couldn't help jumping, and he immediately hugged her tightly in his arms.

"You're such a nasty little devil."