Papal State, Rome.

This meeting, organized by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund on an ad hoc basis, was different from the last, with fewer people and a few more.

The few were the kings of Bulgaria, Wallachia and Salvia, because the Ming army had already occupied Nikoburg in Bulgaria at this time, and even Tarnovo and Sofia had fallen, and they could not get out.

It stands to reason that it was initiated by the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope would also participate, and they had to participate in a meeting of this level, but now they did not dare.

They were afraid that if they got to Rome on the front foot, they would lose their home on the back foot.

The most numerous were Francesco Foscari, the governor of the Duchy of Venice.

In Venice, the Doge was the same existence as the king, the supreme ruler.

However, it may be a little different from others, Francesco did not come of his own volition, but because there was really no way out.

Because if he doesn't come, it is very likely that he will be deposed by the group of ten.

The Venetian Group of Ten is a special being, the same as the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire.

As can be seen from the word elector, this is the purpose of choosing the emperor, and similarly, the Venetian group of ten has similar rights.

They did not participate in internal affairs, but were only responsible for electing the emperor.

Of course, this is the original intention of the establishment of the Ten Group and the Elector, as for whether it has gone bad in the end...... That's hard to say.

The reason why the ten-member regiment of the Duchy of Venice put pressure on Francesco to come to this meeting in Rome was the threat of the Ming army.

It's just that unlike the threats encountered by countries such as the Holy See and the Holy Roman Empire, what makes the Duchy of Venice feel threatened is actually the maritime power of the Ming army.

"Tell me what to do." As always, it was Sigismund who took the lead.

"It has nothing to do with us." As soon as Sigismund spoke, Francesco picked up the conversation.

"As you all know about the situation in our Duchy of Venice, our forces are mainly concentrated on the sea, and if we are allowed to fight on land, it will be no different from you pulling a group of civilians at random."

"We, the Duchy of Venice, can only guarantee that when the enemy comes out with the forces of the sea, we will give it our all."

"Of course, you must have all seen each other's sea power, and even fought against it, so you should know that our Principality of Venice has little chance of winning, so we still need your help when the time comes."

"Help, naturally, will not be less." As soon as he started, Francesco stood up and dismantled the stage, and Sigismund's face was very embarrassed.

"But I hope you also understand that the other party is not a good person, and when they have enough strength and enough land, the next thing to encroach on is the sea, and then there will be no way back for the Duchy of Venice."

"At that time, we still have a way out, and we can return to Aachen, but what about you?"

"All the sea routes, the sellers of spices, and all kinds of goods, which you Venetians have been operating for more than six hundred years, will be lost."

"So...... I hope you understand that. ”

"Of course." Francesco readily agreed, but felt very uncomfortable.

Why did the Duchy of Venice not end up when the combined forces of the Holy See and the Holy Roman Empire blocked the Ming army's treasure fleet in the Adriatic Sea? Obviously, their sea power is even stronger, and it is clear that Venice, the capital of the Duchy of Venice, is on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

In the final analysis, it was because the Ming army did not touch the fundamental interests of Venice.

The Duchy of Venice was not very large, and with the exception of the capital Venice, most of its territory was scattered over the Mediterranean, especially the islands around the Aegean Sea.

However, when Zhu Zhan turned his gaze to Europe, the first thing he saw was Junbao, and the second was Nikobao, the throat of the Danube, for those islands in the sea......

Not to mention the islands of the Duchy of Venice, even the Ionian Islands and Crete and other places Zhu Zhan Yan did not pay attention to it, and even prepared it as an after-dinner snack, and slowly cleaned it up when there was no room for resistance on the European continent.

In addition, the Duchy of Athens did not respond to the Ming army's request for help, so there was no fundamental conflict between the Duchy of Venice and the Ming army.

Until...... The appearance of the treasure fleet.

In this era, navigation was linked to great interests, which was the European perception.

The reason why the Duchy of Venice was able to prosper so quickly and occupy a place in Europe was due to commerce.

The main goods of the Duchy of Venice were spices, cane sugar, silk, muslin, etc., which were lacking in Europe, and the largest proportion of them were spices and cane sugar.

Speaking of which, there may be many people who do not know what role spices and cane sugar played in medieval Europe, and how the Venetians, who possessed this source, deceived the European white pigs.

In his book Chronicles, the fourteenth-century English chronicler Joyville vividly described the misconception that many Europeans at the time had the myth that precious spices such as sugar and cinnamon were produced in a mysterious river, the "Spice River" (i.e., the Nile).

It was widely used in Europe at the time that things like spices and cane sugar flowed through the Nile, and that people would cast their nets on the riverbed at night, and the next morning they would get ginger, rhubarb, aloe vera, cinnamon, and cane sugar.

This statement is a bit outrageous, but it also proves the role that Venetian merchants played in medieval Europe.

In commerce, especially in the trade of goods such as sugar and spices, they have almost reached the point of complete monopoly, even to the point that they are what they say and what they make up.

The appearance of the Ming army would undoubtedly greatly impact the monopoly of the Duchy of Venice in commerce, which they could not tolerate, and this was the main reason why the ten-member group of the Duchy of Venice strongly asked Francesco to come to Rome to participate in the conference.

In the end, it's still interests.

When things came to this, Francesco actually had no desire to listen, he had no interest in how the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy See mobilized troops and how to fight the Ming army.

All he cared about was money, and all he cared about was the commercial status of the Duchy of Venice.

Perhaps, he also cares about allies, but ......

Not an immediate ally.

It's just that Francesco didn't realize that there was another person present who was not taken seriously, but was just as absent-minded as he was.

Jeanne II.

The Council of Rome was soon over, and there was really nothing to talk about, except to transfer troops through the influence of the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy See, and the Kingdom of Naples had to make a little effort in this matter.

Unlike before, there was no correct understanding of the strength of the Ming army, which made Martin V and Frederick III agree to Jeanne II's decision not to send troops.

If they had known early on that they would be wiped out, they would have pulled Jeanne II even if they had pulled their allies into the water.

But this time, Jeanne II and the Kingdom of Naples never had the opportunity to make peace with the mud again.

But even so, as soon as he returned from Rome, Jeanne II sent people to the sea to send Zhu Zhan Yan the news of the imminent end of the Duchy of Venice.

However, time never stops, and when you move forward, others move forward.

Kingdom of Aragon, Zaragoza.

Yolanda was undoubtedly shocked to see her daughter Mary come back alone, and when she heard her tell her about what happened along the way, she was shocked beyond measure.

She didn't expect that the original madman emperor Charles VI was called a madman when he was forced to be helpless, but his son, her son-in-law Charles VII, turned out to be a real madman.

From the perspective of a giver, Yolanda couldn't understand why his son-in-law would give up his help and instead choose someone he didn't know at all to ask for help.

But either way, it's already too late.

"I can promise him." After thinking about it for a long time, Yolanda made a very different decision than when she faced her son-in-law.

"The Kingdom of Aragon can open its waters to pass through it, and will convince the Kingdom of Castile to do the same."

"That'...... Mother, you ...... What is needed? After receiving her mother's confirmation, Mary was overjoyed, but also a little apprehensive.

She didn't expect her mother to agree so easily, which was beyond her expectations.

"What is needed? No, my child, I don't need anything. Yolanda caressed the top of Mary's head lovingly.

"It wasn't what I wanted to treat Charles VII with that attitude before, I just didn't want my child to suffer with him, so he had to grow up, he had to learn to accept humiliation, so that he could really succeed."

"But unexpectedly, he didn't stand this test."

"Now that he is dead, my child you are helpless, for you, for your child, I, as a mother, as a grandmother, I am willing to help my daughter, help my grandson, because we are relatives, this is unconditional."

"All of this, I just hope you can live well......"

"Mother......" Mary's eyes were filled with tears, and the emotions that had been pent up before were instantly detonated, making her hug her mother and cry.

"Alas, my child ......" Yolanda caressed the top of Mary's head with a loving face, presenting the world with a picture of a mother and a daughter.

However, if you look closely, you can see that the corners of Yolanda's mouth are ...... There was a curvature.

……

This world, the people in this world, are the embodiment of interests.

As a mother, Yolanda can give unconditionally for her daughter and for her grandson, but the problem is that she is not just a mother, she is also Yolanda of the Kingdom of Aragon.

The death of Charles VII is a good thing for Zhu Zhanqi, because Louis XI, the only legitimate heir of Charles VII, is in his hands, and he has a qualification to enter the chessboard of the Kingdom of France without paying too much.

Moreover, he holds the only and biggest trump card of the Kingdom of France.

But in the same way, Yolanda also thinks so, and in her opinion, her advantage is much, much greater than Zhu Zhanyan.

She was the mother-in-law of King Charles VII of France, the biological mother of the Queen of France, and the maternal grandmother of the future King of France, Louis XI.

Charles VII was dead, and she was the one who was best qualified to take care of Louis XI and help him with the affairs of France.

As for Zhu Zhanyan......

In her eyes, she is still slightly inferior to her.

Holding her daughter in her arms, Yolanda seems to have seen the picture of the future Kingdom of Aragon gradually annexing the Kingdom of France and even the Kingdom of England and becoming the new overlord of the European continent.

Therefore, there is truth in this world, but more than ninety percent of the so-called truth may not be able to withstand the test of interests.

Even in the remaining 10%, half of it may be because the interests are not big enough, and when the interests are big enough, they will change their position.

There are very few people who really hold the concept of the supremacy of true feelings.

Everything is just profit.

(End of chapter)