"Your Highness, the fleet has reached the sea off Pisa, and the Arno River is only three meters deep, which can only accommodate flat-bottomed sand boats. The former army has prepared a flat-bottomed sand boat, and in order to enter the Medici family castle before dark, please leave immediately. ”

Zhu Zhanji nodded and said, "You go and urge Ma Liangyuan and Liu Chenghui to let them not be slow, I can leave at any time." ”

Liu Wan whispered yes, and was about to leave, when Zhu Zhanji asked again: "Who is the Medici family who came to greet him?" ”

Liu Wan was a little inaccurate about the names of Italian people, and Zhu Zhanji didn't hear the name after saying it, so he turned his gaze to an Aragon general behind him.

This general is fluent in Spanish, Arabic, and Italian, and after accepting the invitation of Daming, he is still actively learning Daming.

Although he saw Zhu Zhanji looking at him, he didn't understand what it meant, and it was only after a reminder from a big Ming general message next to him that he understood, and hurriedly replied in Spanish: "Your Royal Highness, the Medici family came to greet the first heir of their family, Cosimo, De, and Medici. ”

Zhu Zhanji raised his hand, and Li Liang hurriedly handed Zhu Zhanji a list of the preparations for the realization.

After opening this list, Zhu Zhanji turned to the page of information on the Medici family. Born in 1389, Cosimo Medici is now Chinese New Year's Eve years old, and is the most important heir to the new Medici family.

After writing down Cosimo's information, he said: "When I get on the ship, let Cosimo come to me, and I will meet the heir of the richest family in Rome by the way." ”

The Medici family was an influential family not only in the West, but also in the East. They sponsored countless artists and played a huge role in the Renaissance movement in Europe.

It cannot be said that there would have been no Italian Renaissance without the Medici, but without the Medici, the Italian Renaissance would certainly not have been what we see today.

Behind the thunderous names of Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Delaria, Michelangelo, Titian, Mantania, etc., there is a common name that shines behind these Renaissance giants, and that is the Medici.

In addition to its artistic achievements, the family also produced four popes and two French queens, and had unparalleled influence in European politics.

However, in this era, the Medici family has only developed for three generations. Most of those literary giants have not yet been born, and their families are just an emerging force.

Salvestro Medici was the first member of the Medici family to go down in history, and he was the standard-bearer of justice (the supreme magistrate of the Florentine Republic) when the comber revolt that shook the whole of Florence broke out in 1378.

After the victory of the uprising, Salvestro was elected president of the Florentine Municipal Council, but was expelled from Florence after the fall of the democratically elected government in 1381.

His son, Giovanni di Beeci de' Medici, revived the Medici family and made huge profits from the Medici Bank, which he opened and became the richest man in Florence.

The Republic of Pisa was annexed to Florence ten years ago due to its defeat in the war, and the Medici family extended its influence to Pisa.

Although Giovanne, the current head of the family, has become the richest man in Florence, his influence in the political arena is still very small.

In Zhu Zhanji's memory, the Medici family gradually developed after becoming the treasurer of the Papal States, and now Giovanne is about to die, and maybe, the one who became the papal treasurer is this Cosimo who came today.

The arrival of the Ming fleet, and the great trade, of course, attracted the attention of the wealthy families of Europe. When the Ming delegation came to Florence to make arrangements for Zhu Zhanji's arrival, the Medici family took the initiative to come out and was willing to undertake the task of receiving Zhu Zhanji.

Although the family's home base is in Florence, Pisa, one of the most luxurious courtyards today, belongs to the Medici family.

And because of the rapid development of their bank, there is also a large market set up by their family in Pisa, which means that their family controls the economy of Florence.

Therefore, they naturally got this task, although there will be some expenses for receiving Zhu Zhanji's arrival, but they can establish a friendly relationship with Daming, and just give them a little trade concession, they can earn it back.

When Zhu Zhanji moved to the flat-bottomed sand boat that served as the flagship, his concubines were placed on another ship.

The fleet sailed five kilometers up the Arno River to reach the city of Pisa.

After everyone on the ship had settled down, Cosimo, who had been waiting on the other ships, came to the flagship after being taught by his chamberlain.

Although their family is the richest man in Florence, although he has seen the grandeur of countless big people, but when he sees the momentum of the Ming fleet today, he has already been conquered.

Such a huge fleet was just for the escort of this highness, and before this highness arrived, thousands of heavily armed warriors had already taken control of the Arno River valley.

From this estuary all the way to Pisa, there were warriors of the Ming Dynasty everywhere. They are highly disciplined, exuding this high-spirited momentum, and at first glance they are soldiers of a hundred battles.

But with so many soldiers, they are not the regular army of the Ming Dynasty, but just the guards of His Royal Highness the Imperial Grandson.

How can it be justified that a single imperial grandson has tens of thousands of guards, and the muskets in their hands are more than the muskets in all of Europe combined?

Seeing the black-barreled muskets in their hands, Cosimo had no doubt that if these Ming soldiers really had the intention of aggression against Florence, they would probably be able to occupy the whole of Florence in less than a week.

After receiving some etiquette instruction from a group of Ming guards, he was allowed to board the ship of His Royal Highness the Imperial Grandson.

Boarding the ship, he strictly followed the other party's teachings, bowed his head, followed behind the other party, and after the other party knelt down, he also knelt down, and shouted in Castilian language: "Cosimo de Medici, Medici family, Duchy of Florence, greetings to His Royal Highness the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty." ”

He did not understand why His Royal Highness did not learn Latin and Roman, but Castilian on the Iberian Peninsula on the way to Europe.

It was a small language that few people could speak, and he wouldn't have learned it if he hadn't been the heir to the family and wanted to expand the family business to the Iberian Peninsula.

Zhu Zhanji looked at the heir of the Medici family in front of him, the other party was not good-looking, a big nose was particularly conspicuous, and he looked a bit like the door god Buffon in later generations, but he didn't have the height of the other party.

"Flat body ......" Zhu Zhanji's words were said in Da Ming dialect, but the other party did not understand, and only after the translation of the general matter did he stand up straight from the deck.

Then he was arranged in the cabin near the door, five or six meters away from Zhu Zhanji, and there were five or six people in between.

Cosimo couldn't hold back his curiosity, and when he sat down, he secretly glanced up at Zhu Zhanji, who was sitting on a high platform that was half a meter higher than everyone else.

I didn't see it clearly in a hurry, but the only thing I could see was that the other party was tall and had a pair of eyes that were particularly sharp.

Seeing Cosimo sitting on the Taishi chair with a loud butt, Liu Wan secretly pursed his lips, he was really a barbarian, he didn't know how to be polite and humble at all, and he dared to sit down like this in front of His Royal Highness.

Zhu Zhanji didn't care about this, and looked at Cosimo, who was still a little nervous, and said: "Florence, as the dividing line between the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire, has always faced double pressure, and the Medici family was able to become the leader of Florence under this pressure, and obviously has places that others can't compare. What do you personally think is the main reason for the rise of your Medici family? ”

After listening to the translation of the matter, Cosimo couldn't understand Zhu Zhanji's mentality for a while, and he pondered for a while, and could only reply in the official language: "Your Highness, the rise of the Medici family from the turbulent Florence depends on my father's outstanding ability and our family's integrity-based rules. ”

Zhu Zhanji smiled and said: "As far as I know, there is a tall tower in Pisa, which has been inclined a few degrees since the day it was built, but because it does not fall, it has become a big landscape. ”

Cosimo was very unaccustomed to this kind of whimsical conversation, but in the face of the honorable Zhu Zhanji, he didn't dare to show the slightest dissatisfaction, nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness." If Your Highness has the heart to go and have a look, I will help Your Highness arrange the itinerary tomorrow. ”

Zhu Zhanji did not directly answer whether he would go or not, and said: "Today, the Italian peninsula has the largest number of architects, artists, navigators, and all kinds of skilled sailors in Europe. I have always attached great importance to all kinds of technical talents, and want to establish a technical exchange channel from the Italian Peninsula to my Ming, I wonder if the Medici family is willing to become my agent of the Ming? ”

After hearing the translation of the general matter clearly, Cosimo didn't understand what Zhu Zhanji wanted to say at all. He said three sentences, but the three sentences were completely out of bounds, making Cosimo feel that his brain cells had died a lot.

He didn't suspect that there was a mistake in the meaning he understood, or that there was a mistake in the translation of the matter, because he understood everything he said, and he answered directly every time, but as the emperor's grandson, he kept saying it in Da Ming dialect.

If there was a mistake in the translation of the Tongshi, he would know it as soon as possible.

Faced with this young man, who was almost ten years younger than himself, Cosimo felt a huge pressure. He hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, this is the glory of the Medici family. ”

As soon as the powerful and wealthy Ming appeared in Europe, it caused a huge sensation. This fleet that suddenly appeared not only had a strong force, but also carried hundreds of ships of valuable cargo, which made the whole of Europe know that this Ming was richer than all the countries in Europe combined.

Although the Medici family is the richest man in Florence, if they want to buy Daming's goods, they can only buy ten ships at most, which makes Cosimo feel a huge gap.

Such a powerful country produces goods that the whole of Europe is crazy about, although it is a luxury, but it can also be regarded as a necessity.

Whether it's silk, tea, spices, or porcelain, there's no one who doesn't want these things.

If Da Ming is willing to sell the technology for the production of muskets, Cosimo believes that the martial arts family will be willing to break the bank to buy it, just like him.

If he can become the agent of the Ming Dynasty, Cosimo believes that the Medici family will definitely become one of the most powerful families in Europe.

However, he could not believe that such a good thing would fall on the heads of the Medici family, although the Medici family could still be counted as the number one person in Florence, but in the whole of Europe, it was not worth mentioning.

He wanted to ask why it was the Medici family, but he didn't dare to ask because of the warnings of the fierce and vicious guards.

Zhu Zhanji didn't know much about the Europeans of this era, except for those royal families, and he had heard of a Medici family.

Especially this family has just risen now, if they become the lackeys of the Ming Dynasty, it will directly affect the Renaissance in Europe, and thinking about it makes Zhu Zhanji feel happy.

A capable family has become a lackey of the Ming Dynasty, and their abilities do not need to be worried, and their influence on the Renaissance is directly weakened.

It would be very rewarding to be able to turn them into the overlords of the Italian peninsula and directly influence the history of Europe.

Zhu Zhanji smiled and said: "For the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the Papal States, although I can know their general sphere of influence, but I can't figure out the relationship between them, although we don't care about the personnel disputes between them, but the more we know, the more beneficial it will be for me, what do you think?" ”

Cosimo felt very tired, originally because of the excitement of being able to meet the grandson of the Great Ming Emperor, but now it turned into a huge pressure.

He doesn't talk about business, he doesn't talk about interests, and with an attitude that cannot be refused, he directly shows that Daming can do whatever he wants.

This made Cosimo wonder if he was wrong to post it so aggressively.

No matter how powerful the Ming is, it is impossible for them to stay here forever, they are located in the far east, if they are too close to them, they anger the Holy Roman Empire in the north and the Papal States in the south, but the gains outweigh the losses!

But at this time, he was not allowed to refuse, he was very suspicious that if he refused and angered the imperial grandson, the other party would not hang himself directly.

For a while, he was a little dispossessed, for his own safety, he could only lead the water south, and said: "Your Royal Highness, the Medici family is very willing to establish a closer relationship with the Ming Dynasty, but ......"

He raised his head and boldly glanced at Zhu Zhanji, who was sitting not far away, and then saw Zhu Zhanji's appearance clearly, the other party was imposing, and he had pressure that he had never faced.

He was ruthless and said, "But...... There seems to be a lot of people in the Papal States who want to prevent His Highness from going to the Papal States! ”

His Royal Highness remained silent, but the others were shocked when they heard the translation of the general affairs, and seeing them ask for details in shock, Cosimo felt that he had made the right choice.

In any case, there is no need to reply directly to the other party now, whether you are willing to be used by the other party or not.

"The ...... of the Papal States," Zhu Zhanji laughed meaningfully.

(There is something to do today, only 4,000 words, tomorrow 8,000 words to compensate.) ）