It was Christmas 1492.

"Such an act of your country is inappropriate......

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (officially awarded the title in 1508), said with displeasure.

What he was talking about was that Castile and Aragon had annulled the marriage arrangement between Philip and Juana.

Although there was no formal marriage contract, Juana's marriage arrangements were already made, and Prince Juan was packaged, one to marry Margaret and the other to Philip.

Marguerite and Philip were very attractive marriage partners in the European royal family at the time, both were fair-skinned, with russet hair, fine countenance, full red lips, and most importantly, Philip was the heir to the Burgundian heritage (mainly Flemish including parts of the northern border of France), and it was likely that he would be the future Holy Roman Emperor.

"Your Majesty, this is the result of a long discussion between King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and we ......" The ambassador of Castile was also in a panic, and it was really a little embarrassing to give such a "gift" to the emperor at Christmas.

The explanation given by the ambassador was that Juana was so and all kinds of things that she would not live or die, and that she was not worthy of Archduke Philip.

However, he learned from the insiders of the great nobles that more than two months ago, after King Ferdinand had a long night with Queen Isabella, he had canceled the original marriage arrangement, and the king's attitude was very resolute. The reason why it took so long to inform the other party was that the queen felt a little embarrassed, so she prepared a generous gift at Christmas, and at the same time reluctantly and tactfully informed the bad news as much as possible.

First of all, anyone who was arranged to marry when he was less than ten years old, and now he has a little assertiveness at the age of twelve, even if he does not oppose his parents' decision, where will he be completely willing? To say that Juana is unwilling is arguably the well-known correct nonsense.

And at that time, Philip had a very good reputation, not only known for his beautiful men, but also very polite and personable.

"Who's going to act like a scumbag?" Ferdinand rejected Isabella's last appeal on behalf of Philip in just one sentence, completely confirming the death penalty of personality.

"Either way, it's rude...... Maximilian still feels a little upset, though no longer so harsh.

Maximilian I was an accomplished emperor who created a central government governed by and for the nobility through the reform of the HRE Diet and the feudal military system, the establishment of the Imperial Ruling House and the Imperial Districts. Although this fragile central government was shattered by the subsequent Reformation.

But he was also a serious victim of repentance and ruining marriages.

First of all, Princess Marguerite was engaged to the King of France when she was three years old and sent to the French court for training, but soon, Charles VIII repented of Marguerite's marriage, and then sent troops to Brittany to snatch Duchess Anne, who had completed a symbolic wedding with Maximilian.

regretted his daughter's marriage and ruined his father's marriage.

What a shame. It happened just two years ago.

So Maximilian seemed to see the humiliating scene of the year again.

Naturally, it was very unhappy.

And he didn't think the other party was telling the truth. Princess Juana was healthy, polite, and highly educated, and he had heard from his ambassador that he thought Juana was a good daughter-in-law.

But he also understands things. The other party and the other party are not officially engaged. Now that he had given himself four years in advance, he had plenty of time to reschedule, and he had prepared generous gifts and tactful words, and he was clearly still willing to maintain the close relationship between the two countries.

"Can't you really think about it again? Maybe Juana and Philip could be arranged to meet once, and then think about it...... "Maximilian still wants to fight for it."

"I'm afraid not. His Majesty the King said that in half a year you will know why. ”

"Okay." Maximilian thought that this was the meaning of the other party's refusal, so he had to give up.

But he wanted to know what Ferdinand would say in half a year.

On 1 July 1493, Ferdinand announced that he and Princess Juana would join a second voyage to India.

"......" Maximilian, who heard the news, was indeed convinced, and everyone decided to run away, what else do you have to say? Fortunately, I didn't take Prince Juan with me, and another marriage was decided.

Then you have to appease your son, and then pick a family business.

Maximilian decided to marry the German princes this time, so that Philip could take control of the future empire.

He began to write a letter to his son, feeling a little guilty about Philip.

Maximilian had never understood why the two monarchs in the south would refuse to marry. You must know that Philip has taken over Flanders this year, and he is already very important in terms of the power he controls, not to mention that he will inherit the Holy Roman Empire in the future. With the Queen's political consciousness, it shouldn't be.

I'm afraid that King Ferdinand is firmly opposed, and what is he for? I don't understand.

"If you don't understand, don't think about it." Ferdinand said to Isabella dryly, who was a little puzzled even though he had listened to him.

She really wouldn't marry her daughter to a scum in order to marry a future monarch.

The arrangement of her political marriage also has a basic bottom line. Recently, she secretly sent people to inquire, and also discovered all kinds of darkness and ugliness beneath Philip's glamorous exterior.

Therefore, just because Philip has a negative character, she does not regret canceling the marriage arrangement.

What puzzled her was Ferdinand's decision.

Politicians' decisions usually take into account the interests of various parties, especially political interests.

Sometimes, though, one aspect can be overwhelming, regardless of the others. But even then, it is not only about this overwhelming effect, but also about other factors.

For example, the United States suddenly decided to give China the treatment of NATO allies, and support China's reunification of Wanwan Island, and give various economic preferences, as long as China gives Taiping Island under the control of Wanwan to the Philippines.

Replaced by Lao Jiang, he definitely agreed. Because he did it once in Outer Mongolia.

But the Heaven Party will never agree, there is no need to think about it at all, it is absolutely impossible to do such a thing.

But even if the result is doomed, it will still be analyzed in the middle.

For example, if you have the cheekiness to agree, then where has your government and the dignity of this country gone? Who will take China's words seriously in the future? What do the people think of you? If you don't know, the Paradise Party will step down.

Just the Paradise Party stepping down? Too，young，too，symple！

Since the Celestial Empire welcomes "freedom and democracy", whether the treatment will be given or not, and whether Wanwan will be returned, is not a matter of the lighthouse country's words?

Even if it is all realized, China is a loyal servant of the lighthouse country anyway, and it doesn't hurt to give some bones.

Anyway, the Celestial Empire has been infiltrated to the ground, and the backyard of an adult's house is over.

Then the possibility of the Celestial Empire evolving into a superpower is completely gone.

Of course, the United States in reality would not do that. Because the consideration just now ignores one factor, repentance.

……

So Isabella felt that Ferdinand would not make a conclusion based on family affection alone, but would also consider other factors.

Isabella was interested in other factors.

Precisely, she wanted to hear Ferdinand's thoughts on Castile-Aragon's relationship with the HRE.

"You want to ask this......" Ferdinand decided to put it simply, he didn't want to tell the whole plan, it would be too shocking.

It's not that he's afraid of being treated as mentally ill or anything, it's that he's afraid of affecting the development of history and disrupting his plans. Ferdinand's plan required that the political situation on the continent should not change drastically compared to history.

"You think that our marriage with the Holy Roman Empire will form a siege of France, but there are three problems here."

"First of all, the validity of the marriage is questionable."

"If two countries are not married for the purpose of eventual merger, as we do, then there must be some inconsistencies in their national interests, and they cannot be seen as a cohesive whole, even if they have relatively common goals. Moreover, there is no covenant at all, but only by marriage and unstable common interests......"

China and Russia are a classic example in this regard. If there is a "China-Russia-Mongolia Federation" and it is a unified country, then the next day the United States will kneel, and Western Europe and Japan will immediately cry and cry for their mothers. There is no way, a country with an area of more than 28 million square kilometers, a population of nearly 1.6 billion, an economy close to that of the United States, the world's largest resources, the world's second navy, the world's largest army, air force, and nuclear arsenal, and politically stable country, the data is listed there, and it makes people tremble when they think about it.

In reality, the situation is reversed, and it is needless to say that the reason is known in contrast.

"Secondly, even if a close alliance is formed, then there is indeed a geographical encirclement of France, but it is only geographical. I could pick up a map of France and tear it to shreds if I wanted to, but does that make sense? Could it be that such a geographical position alone would allow the armies of our country and the HRE to march on Paris from all sides at the same time within a few days of the outbreak of war? Even if it were true, if part of the army failed, then this distant union would be meaningless. ”

"Third, other countries will not sit idly by."

"The nations of Europe have traditionally not allowed a very powerful dominant power to exist, and now everyone is worried about the threat of France, and if Iberia enters into a close alliance with the Holy Roman Empire, it will be us who will be opposed, and if ......," Ferdinand paused deliberately, "one day our country will unite with the Holy Roman Empire under the rule of one emperor, and we will become enemies of other nations." Isn't it? ”

Historically, immediately after the defeat of the French at Bavea in 1525, they began to look for new forces to prepare for a long-term confrontation with Charles V. The following year, King Francis I of France formed an alliance with Venice, Pope Clement VII, Florence, Milan, etc., all of whom feared that Charles V's empire would overswell and threaten their survival.

Isabella's body shuddered, she had a premonition that she thought she shouldn't have been, that one of Philip and Juan might not live long, so ...... But now she suddenly understood.

"And if this alliance is still inferior to our country, France will even ally with the Ottomans."

"Impossible! All European countries will oppose and then take our side. ”

Historically, Charles V was so powerful that France simply signed a "preferential treaty" with the Ottoman Empire, and at the same time encouraged Islamic forces in North Africa to plunder the Spanish coast and merchant ships. France's alliance with the Ottomans shocked Christendom, accused of "an evil alliance", "a combination of lilies and the desecration of the crescent", and so on.

"So other European countries are indeed on our side, but we are in big trouble."

France's previous alliance with the divided northern Italian states actually had no effect, forget about the combat effectiveness of noodles, and southern Italy is all Spanish territory, if you pull half of the noodles, this half of the noodles is still a plate of loose sand, it is really just the rhythm of the Italian civil war. This is true historically.

But you are allied with the Ottomans...... It's a bit big...... Even if the noodle kingdoms all turn to Charles V, it won't be useful! The year 1528 was just the Battle of Vienna!

If you think again that the sultan at this time was Suleiman the Magnificent......

"Anyway, the French king and the pope have not dealt with each other very much, and they have limited cooperation with the Ottomans, and they are burdened with some infamy, which is nothing in front of the interests of the nation."

———— Dividing Line————

"Actually, I'm not afraid of that!" After talking for a long time, Ferdinand changed his style again, which made Isabella stunned.

"Even if I really fought with France and the Ottomans for many years, I don't care."

"This will greatly deplete our national strength, there will be an economic crisis, and the people will be killed and injured heavily." Isabella is telling the truth, in the history of the war between France and Spain, Spain set up an ambush, but I didn't expect the French army to be too cowardly, so they ran away. In fact, Gonzalo was depressed because he had not been able to achieve his main goal, but Isabella was glad to hear it, believing that the number of Christian casualties had been reduced......

"In this era, national strength is ready to be consumed." Ferdinand shrugged.

"However, the national power of Castile and Aragon can only be consumed for Castile and Aragon!"

"Think about it, Castile or Aragon, which country was more involved in the European states and in the contradictions with the Ottomans than the Holy Roman Empire? Apparently the latter, if not to mention the fact that he became the master of Castile-Aragon and the vast territories of our country, and also held the throne of the Holy Roman Empire, would such a powerful emperor be very interested in eradicating the German princes? This alone is an endless draining wound. Then add to that the Ottoman pressure of expansion on land and at sea...... It was clear that the emperor would make the lands and wealth of Castile Aragon the cornerstone of his ambitions. Ferdinand concluded.

"This is not possible," Isabella also grasped the key after analyzing the pros and cons, "the unification and division of the German regions have nothing to do with Castile, and we cannot let our finances and military power be consumed on German soil, and we do not need to devote all our strength to the war against the Ottomans in Central Europe." If this were the case, the containment of France would also be greatly affected, and if France and the German princes were united, the Habsburgs would not actually be able to help us much, but would have left us in a cruel and senseless war of attrition for a long time, making us free mercenaries of the Holy Roman Empire. Isabella concluded: "We must have our own national interests, and we cannot be tied to the chariot and go bankrupt for someone else's war," and it is so right that Spain has not gone bankrupt once or twice in history! "We should be close allies with the Holy Roman Empire, but not a complete unanimous alliance, which would be in the best interest of Spain, and would have the support of all the other European countries, and concentrate the pressure on France."

Isabella said everything Ferdinand wanted to say next, and sure enough, she also has a far-sighted strategic vision, and with her, Spain will definitely be able to maintain stability.

That's why Ferdinand dared to go to the New World in person so decisively.

……

While Ferdinand and Isabella were discussing their relationship with the HRE, Flanders, a teenager, angrily read his father's letter.

“…… I'm sorry and sorry for this happening...... The noblest virgin princess you can find in Germany...... Choose from the most beautiful beauties with the most beautiful faces and the most slender bodies......"

A glass cup suffered an unwarranted disaster, and it fell to pieces with a "pop".

"Smack"! Another glass.

Philip was angry, not because he couldn't marry Juana, but because - according to the courtiers who had always flattered and instigated him - that the two rude kings and queens of the Iberian Peninsula dared to break the marriage contract of him, a noble, handsome, wise, and powerful duke (even though he had never intended to be insulated from his mistress)—it was a contempt and insult to him!

The courtiers took advantage of the opportunity and came up with a bad idea—"You can do this...... Wait until Castile's fleet comes to pick up Margaret, dry them, and let them shiver through the winter, and then you can find a way to delay a little longer......"

"Good idea, so be it!" Philip excitedly said that he wanted to give those arrogant and impudent Castilians an unforgettable revenge!

……

"Hehe, with that scumbag's temperament, why won't he make trouble for us?" Ferdinand spoke to Isabella, a cold smile on his face, and the thought of the nearly 10,000 sailors and soldiers who died of starvation, a wedding voyage with a total loss of 10,000 men, he pinched his knuckles, and he knew that Philip would definitely do something at the instigation of his courtiers.

"When the time comes, if Marguerite cannot be retrieved before the end of October, the fleet will return directly to the ship, and let Marguerite come to us through France, and I will not be responsible for whether she will be detained."