If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

Alexander didn't remember who said it, but he agreed with it.

If he wants to take the crown of Castile, then he must take the responsibility for it.

This responsibility is both present and future.

Castile is now ruled by his titular cousin Juana, but Ferdinand is in real power.

Everyone knows this.

Prejudice and hostility towards the Aragonese made many Castilian nobles unhappy with the current state of affairs.

Gonzalo de Córdoba is one of them.

Convincing Gonzalo was not an easy task, and even Tiego, who Alexander saw as his future chancellor of the exchequer, would not necessarily succeed.

But in just four days, Tiego brought back good news, which is a miracle.

Gonzalo would have agreed to Alexander's terms so easily for two reasons.

One is that he does give too much.

Alexander promised him a stake in the West India Company to open new routes in exchange for his "neutrality", a bargaining chip that almost no one could refuse.

Another reason was Gonzalo's natural hostility towards Ferdinand, as a Castilian nobleman.

This was the sentiment of many Castilian nobles, who could not tolerate an Aragonese as their monarch, even if he did not wear a crown in public.

If Juana had been normal, maybe things wouldn't have gotten so intense, since she was Isabella's daughter.

But Juana's situation was so bad that it had been a long time since the queen had been seen in public.

Various rumors seem to imply that Juana has been imprisoned by Ferdinand, which makes the Castilian people wonder if Ferdinand has the ambition to depose Juana and ascend to the throne himself.

Once such rumors appear, they are difficult to eliminate.

History has proven time and time again that even if the truth is in front of them, people are often more inclined to believe what they want to believe.

Now that the Castilians believed that Ferdinand was going to usurp the throne with ambition, that was enough.

It was at this time that Gonzalo chose to accept Tiego's offer.

He ordered his troops to withdraw from the city of Córdoba to the old city of Córdoba, which was not very far, but it was enough to show his attitude.

Sicilian troops moved into Córdoba in the following days.

The two sides have a tacit understanding that a village and town between the old and new cities are boundary, forming a situation of mutual non-aggression.

It is difficult to say whether Gonzalo's decision was due to the terms promised by Alexander, or to the hostility of Ferdinand as a Castilian, or simply because of a previous personal feud between the two.

However, Castiaria's army in the south did effectively cease war with the Sicilians.

This decision was undoubtedly very bold, as a front-line commander, Gonzalo had no right to reach any agreement with the enemy, which was not only overstepping his authority, but even suspected of collaborating with the enemy.

However, Alexander was of course pleased, and he not only reached an armistice with Gonzalo, but also made a more in-depth proposal.

It was because of this suggestion that they met at the summit of the mountains of Corocho de Rossi Gargo.

Gonzalo had brought with him a group of soldiers from his own domain, all of whom he had really confided, and he had nothing to hide from them, so he was not surprised to see the Balkans, who were just staring at them from afar.

"Do you remember the last time we met, Grand Master?"

"Of course, but at that time you were a lobbyist for Don Bavi," Gonzalo said with a slightly emotional sigh, "I really didn't think of all this, what should I call you now, Your Highness or Your Majesty?" ”

"If one day I do wear the crown, I will be glad to hear you call me that, because it means that I have the allegiance of the great Gonzalo."

Seeing the look of surprise on Gonzalo's face, Alexander remembered that no one had yet called him 'the Great Gonzalo', and that the title would not appear until many years later, and by that time, the Spanish phalanx created by Gonzalo had already swept across Europe.

Now seeing this great military master standing in front of him, Alexander felt a strange feeling in his heart.

He wasn't sure if Gonzalo would be used by him in the future, or if he would eventually become his enemy.

However, he has already proved that Gonzalo is not invincible in Seville with a spectacular victory, so there is no need to care too much about whether this man will become an enemy in the future.

"Grand Master, do you believe in fate?" Alexander asked with a smile, seeing that Gonzalo didn't speak but waited for him to continue, Alexander nodded, "There are some things that you originally thought you couldn't compete with, once broken, you will find that the world is nothing more than that, I don't know what your fate is like, but I know that my destiny is to be a king." ”

Gonzalo looked at Alexander silently, he would agree to the trip because he wanted to see if he had made the right bet, after all, it was not only himself who decided to make such a decision, but also the entire family and the countless people associated with him.

It's just that what makes him wonder now is that he doesn't understand where Alexander got such self-confidence, after all, although he has decided to be neutral, there are still many difficulties in front of Alexander.

"Let's go on our way, General, it's still far away."

Alexander said as he looked to the other side of the hill, and although there were still patches of mountains blocking it, the plain of Rachaman was already faintly visible.

The streets of Toledo still look so cramped and narrow, alleys leading to dark places that no one knows, and the city built along the hills rises and falls, and the houses seem to be lifted by the waves and sink at any moment.

Standing on the banks of the Tagus River, Alexander looked at the city across from him, imagining what it would be like years from now.

Like many old cities with a long history, Toledo was divided over the years into the old and new towns, which were built on the other side of the Tagus River, where Alexandria now stands, while the old town will remain as it is today.

Unlike Seville or even Córdoba, Toledo will end up with a legacy of old traditions, not a new youth that will burst out with the construction of the new city.

In short, the city is no longer out of date. Just love

As now, when the capital of Castile was moved to Vallaridode, Toledo was doomed to decay.

It's just that Vallaridot did not escape the same fate in the end.

Madrid was the most suitable capital for the future Spanish Empire.

Alexander could understand why the later King of Spain, Philip II, moved his capital from Vallidot to Madrid.

In addition to its expansion, the size of the city of Valaridot was no longer suitable for the capital of a powerful empire, and more importantly, Madrid's geographical location was right in the middle of the Kingdom of Spain.

Here, the king could more easily exert influence on the former kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, and deter the separatists who still tried to become independent, which was more conducive to his rule.

Of course, Philip II was not alone in making such a far-sighted decision.

Even when his maternal great-grandparents were alive, Isabella and his wife saw the importance of the city of Madrid.

By the time of Charles V, Madrid had already played an important role as the vice-capital of the Kingdom of Spain, and it was already known at that time that it was only a matter of time before the capital was moved.

Toledo, Vallaridos, Madrid, as if witnesses to the gradual rise of a powerful kingdom on the European continent, these cities became evidence of the rise of the future Spanish Empire.

"You seem to be sighing for something," said Gonzalo, who was standing aside, and he wondered how the young duke suddenly seemed to become sentimental, "shall we go into the city?" ”

Gonzalo's impatience made Alexander laugh at it, knowing that the general was somewhat reserved, or that he had been trying to convince himself that he had made these choices not for the sake of the shares, or simply because of a personal vendetta with Ferdinand.

Alexander didn't care about Gonzalo's slight hypocrisy, as long as everything went according to his plan, he didn't mind the other party putting his notoriety on him in order to find a good excuse for himself.

Alexander's purpose in coming to Toledo was not to gain the support of the elders.

The containment and even gradual disempowerment of the nobles is irrevocable, and both Isabella and Alexander will only make the future destiny of the state policy more enforceable.

He had come to Toledo to deal Ferdinand the fatal blow.

An ordinary-looking middle-aged man, who had no features at all except for the robe on his body, proved that he was a priest, stood in front of Archbishop Toledo.

The man seemed to be a little tired, his eyes were dark, and his body was limp there, as if he was going to fall down at any moment.

"So, you've already met the Duke of Roman Thesia?"

The archbishop's voice was dull, and the priests next to him looked at his face cautiously, and the atmosphere in the room was very oppressive.

"Yes, sir."

Crean replied calmly.

Here he was a priest who had fled Sicily, and the fighting in Sicily forced him to leave the monastery of San Sebaron in Calibo and make the journey to Toledo.

Only a few people know what kind of mission this seemingly ordinary priest has undertaken.

"Can I trust you, then?" The archbishop looked at the man across from him with a gloomy face, and he knew that this man was not a real priest, at least not the kind of priest he was familiar with.

But what's there?

This man brought the news he needed.

However, the archbishop was still a little dissatisfied, especially when the victory of the battle of Seville was reported, and when he saw Crean again, the archbishop was a little annoyed.

"I mean, what use is there after you are late," said the archbishop dissatisfied, "the Sicilians have defeated Gonzalo's army in Seville, and now the Duke of Rome Thessia is probably preparing to march on Valrialidodes. ”

"I beg your pardon, but I stayed in Lisbon for a while before I came back," Crean said casually, "and I met Princess Juana there, oh sorry, it should be Queen Juana now." ”

A hint of surprise crossed the archbishop's face, and he looked at Kerry for a pause, and finally raised his hand to signal him to continue.

"My lord, in addition to insisting that she is the blood heir of King Enrique, Queen Juana also brought up a noteworthy matter," said this, for the first time, a slight smile appeared on Crean's face, which had been expressionless, "It is like this, Queen Juana believes that in terms of the purity of blood, Ferdinand's children have no right to inherit the throne of Castile. ”

The archbishop finally couldn't sit still, and he leaned forward, as if trying to stand up, but finally held back.

"This is a terrible accusation, you should know that Queen Juana is implying that all of Queen Isabella's children are not eligible to inherit," the archbishop's meaningful eyes fell on Crean's face, "Can I know any evidence for this accusation?" ”

"Your Excellency, you know that Castile and Aragon share the same ancestry, but according to Queen Juana, it is almost an open secret of the Aragon royal family that the royal family of Aragon will give birth to children with pagan characteristics every few generations."

The archbishop snorted, and although he didn't say anything, he didn't say anything to stop it, which made Crean smile lightly.

"My lord, the queen hopes that the church in Toledo will play a role in the purity of the royal family of Castile."

Crean said, looking at the men beside the archbishop.

Although Toledo was the stronghold of the old aristocracy, and the church was close to the Barialy Doudan church, which was controlled by Isabella and his wife, not everyone was Ferdinand's enemy.

But it is certain that these people who are here today should be the archbishop's sworn friends.

Clarion noticed the strange expressions of the priests, and saw the archbishop's stiff expression.

"This is a terrible accusation," said the archbishop, though he seemed unmoved, but his overly straight back betrayed him, "so how can you prove that this impure blood has also defiled the royal family of Castile? ”

"Don Bavi, my lord, the twin sister he married to is said to be Maria's twin sister as proof of this, and if you see her with your own eyes, you will surely agree with my claims."

The archbishop didn't speak immediately, he stared at Kryan for a while before slowly asking, "How sure are you about this?" ”

"Don't worry, my lord, everything is ready," Clarion looked at the archbishop's always gloomy face, "If you have anything else to worry about, I think maybe the Duke himself can help you out." ”

"What?!"

The archbishop, who had been trying to remain as quiet as possible, finally showed a look of surprise on his face because of the accident.

"The Duke of Rome Thesia is coming to Toledo?"