Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1776 - 1271: A Turning Point in History, the Kingdom of Portugal Makes Its Move!
"Your Majesty, the scholars have left. They have never been tight-lipped... What happened in the Sintra Palace today might soon reach Castile, reach the courts of Valladolid, and be known by the Dual Kings from the East!..."
"Hmm..."
"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, one should figure out how to end things before starting a conflict. A wise person doesn't provoke a mad bull with a red cloth. Currently, the Kingdom of Castile, with its immense debt and aggressive demeanor, is like an irritable bull..."
"Hmm..."
"Your Majesty, not everything that glitters is gold. The court's judgment about Columbus was not wrong. The navigational calculations by the scholars were not wrong either. What Columbus reached should not have been India or Cipangu! Just relying on a book written in Eastern Text does not really prove anything. There are so many possibilities about the origin of this book. You are a true monarch, possessing the virtues of both a fox and a lion. Thus, you need not be angry or regretful about this..." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"Hmm..."
The sky had darkened, and the scholars had left. In the empty Sintra Palace, only the Royal Guard remained on duty, alongside the Portuguese King who sat on a stone seat, gazing at the frescoes of the Royal Palace.
Joao II looked at the images of his Predecessor Monarchs on the wall, and the Predecessor Monarchs seemed to look back at him. Gradually, the anger faded from his face, and the gloom dispersed. His reason overcame his emotions once again, allowing him to become, as the Florentine scholar Machiavelli described, a "perfect monarch."
"Nuno, I am neither angry nor regretful. I am simply contemplating how to respond to the changes brought by Columbus, considering the choices ahead for the Kingdom of Portugal..."
"Your Majesty... there are still many contradictions in the information brought by Columbus about the East, making it hard to believe... The prison officer is intensifying the interrogation, so that he confesses all the details of his exploration..."
Court confidant Nuno stood by, respectful and serious, providing his view.
"Perhaps Columbus misremembered the distance of the voyage. Perhaps the East is far more extensive than we imagined. Or perhaps it's a brand new Eastern Island, never recorded in history, never reached by anyone..."
"Nuno, what you say is all possible. But these are not the main points.
Joao II smiled faintly, looking at his confidant, and spoke in a calm tone.
"In the eyes of a monarch, neither Columbus's offense nor deceit are significant matters. His every word carries a possibility of disguise and falsity, unworthy of my belief. Before he presented that 'Eastern Book,' he was just a little character, an insignificant ant that could be crushed or released at will. But after he presented that book, it proved a truly vital conclusion, which is also the reason I must detain him!..."
"The presence of the Eastern Book on an island deep in the Atlantic Ocean proves one thing! There truly exists a new route heading westward to reach the East, regardless of its specifics or challenges!..."
"If the Eastern Book could reach an island deep in the Atlantic, then ships from Europe can also reach islands in the Atlantic. Hence, it follows that ships departing from Europe could directly reach the East from the Atlantic! This theoretically existent new route suddenly got confirmed! As the Kingdom of Portugal had already secured the Eastern New Route, having the confidence to reach India, how should we choose and face the westward exploration?!..."
"Ah! The confirmed possibility of the westward new route..."
The court confidant Nuno remained silent, pondering the king's intention and the interest of the Kingdom of Portugal. After a moment, he answered in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, I understand your meaning... If Columbus could not provide evidence and merely discovered a Native Island in the Atlantic, then during the impending eastward reach to India by the Kingdom, spending energy on the uncertain westward maritime exploration would naturally not be worth it..."
"But now, this evidence confirms the existence of the new western route. And we Portuguese, establishing our country by navigation, seeking wealth from new trade routes as the kingdom's sail... we naturally cannot miss this westward route, this indisputable opportunity!..."
"And your detainment of Columbus, listing his crimes, is not to execute him or to exacerbate conflicts with the Kingdom of Castile... It is merely to safeguard maritime interests for the kingdom, interrogate exploration details, and buy time, stalling the Castilians' maritime exploration. Thus allowing us Portuguese to try and match or surpass in opening up the Western New Route!"
"Hmm, exactly! Nuno, you grasp the point right away. We Portuguese, with a century of nautical experience, need not fear those landlocked Castilians, as long as it is fair competition and we are keen to participate!"
Joao II smiled, his face exhibiting confidence. However, as a monarch, he still needed to be cunning like a fox, leveraging all available forces.
"Nuno, send an envoy to share the intelligence about Castile's exploration of the Atlantic and the discovery of a new route with King Charles VIII of France! Relay my greetings to the young king, and share the sincere friendship on the Western New Route..."
"Ah? Your Majesty, notify the King of France to share the Western New Trade Route? This..."
"Indeed! The news Columbus brought back cannot be hidden. And if the new route to the West is truly established, it will be difficult for us Portuguese to monopolize it. With our power, how can we monopolize all Eastern goods like the mighty Ottomans? ... That would make us the common enemy of the entire Catholic world. We must involve other forces!"
"The newly enthroned Charles VIII of France is different from Princess Anne, who previously regent. He is an ambitious young man who is impatient. We need to stimulate his desire for expansion, first getting him to act, and then get the Kingdom of France moving. Once the Gallic Rooster (Gallus) begins to move, no matter what it does, in whichever direction it expands, it will inevitably involve neighboring countries and will certainly draw in the Castilians! In all of Western Europe, only the Kingdom of France, with its numerous knights, can engage with the Iberian Dual Kings. And the French focus is ultimately on land, which won't threaten our maritime dominance..."
"I see! Then, Your Majesty, should we also send an envoy to our ally, the Kingdom of England on the Northern Islands?..."
"The Kingdom's ally, the English? An envoy to Henry VII?... Hmm... No hurry. Henry is a shrewd fellow, skilled in maritime trade. He has colluded with the Venetians, importing alum from the Ottoman Empire in large quantities and then selling it to the Low Countries. This clearly provoked the Pope of the Roman Church, causing strong dissatisfaction from the Pope... and the Pope is a force we must strive to win over! Between the Venetians and the Kingdom, there is also an irreconcilable coinage conflict..."
Joao II pondered for a moment and shook his head. Actually, these reasons could convince the Kingdom's nobility, but they weren't his true inner thoughts.
As a Portuguese King observing the European conflict from afar, he had faintly realized England's excellent geographical advantage, its stronger national strength and population, and the potential threat to Portugal's maritime dominance. Therefore, he was gradually warming relations with the French, while being indifferent to the traditional English ally. Conversely, through Venetian connections, the Iberian Dual Kings seemed to have a tendency to get closer to Henry of England...
"The Almighty bears witness! The Kingdom contacts these external forces just to find a way to contain the Castilians... But truly reliable, still requires us to strengthen the power of the Portuguese, relying on ourselves!"
Joao II always remained clear-headed. He never pinned his hopes on uncontrollable others. Speaking, he looked at his confidant Nuno, solemnly asking.
"Nuno, since we've obtained the news of the Western New Trade Route, we must promptly dispatch the Kingdom's exploratory fleet... Not needing too many ships or personnel, but it must be prompt! This autumn, when the east wind blows, the first expedition fleet must set off! At the very least, they need to reach the archipelago visited by Columbus, verify the accuracy of the news obtained from those crew members, and carefully and kindly contact the 'civilized yet barbaric' Native Kingdom as described in the Eastern booklet!"
"As for the selection of the captain for this expedition fleet, do you have any suggestions?"
"Ah! Exploring the dangerous Atlantic and contacting the more dangerous Native Kingdom? Captain for the fleet?"
Upon hearing the King's inquiry, the confidant Nuno felt a tightness in his heart but showed no indication on his face. This suggestion truly put him in a bit of a tough spot.
In the Kingdom of Portugal, there were many experienced maritime nobility, and quite a few suitable captains. But exploring the Atlantic, searching for elusive islands was certainly not a safe and pleasant experience! Such deep ocean exploration is far more dangerous than navigating along the Southern Continent! This truly requires risking one's life to dedicate and sacrifice for the Kingdom of Portugal!
For such a seafaring mission, recommending any noble family would hardly garner favor, and might instead offend people. If the noble sent overseas met with disaster and didn't return, it would offend a whole group of nobles!...
Therefore, for such recommendations, it is best to find those with shallow roots, no background, and eager desire to rise. Recommending such people is not an offense but an opportunity, an acknowledgment and promotion by the superior. Such rootless people, even if they perish at sea, won't arouse nonexistent family troubles...
The confidant Nuno contemplated for a moment, his eyes slightly flashing as he clearly thought of something. He respectfully bowed, and sincerely said to King João.
"Your Majesty! According to Columbus's account, according to those crews' statements... Sailing westward into the Atlantic will face storms, currents, potential damage to ships, diseases, lack of food, and native attacks, among other challenges... Therefore, for such a mission, it is best to select a young captain with ocean experience, clever and resilient, strong and robust!"
"After thinking, I happen to recall a suitable candidate... He once went south with the Royal Knight Captain Diogo Cao, enduring the test of the Devil's Curse, exploring the Southern Continent... and later followed Sir Dias the Supervisor, surpassing the storm at the Cape of Good Hope, circumnavigating the southernmost tip of the Southern Continent..."
"And in this recent hunt for the Castilian spy ship, he was the first to discover Columbus's sailboat and personally boarded and captured it, proving to be experienced and capable!"
"Hmm? Who is he?"
"He is Bruno Cao, a nephew of Diogo the Knight, whom you once knighted as the Royal Knight!"
On the throne, the calm Joao II pondered for a moment before recalling that neither particularly noteworthy nor affluent young man, a noble elevated from commoners. Such a captain, even if lost, wouldn't be regrettable, most suitable for exploration...
After a brief contemplation, Joao II finally nodded.
"Very good! Truly suitable. Then choose him!"
