When Kotschach met Alexander, it was already the third day he arrived in Paveia.

During these three days, the Palace Prime Minister asked the Montina people to meet with Alexander again and again, but what he received was always a polite but indifferent answer, "I'm sorry, the Count is very busy now" or "We will report your request to the lord, but we don't know when we will meet you" and this kind of answer that cannot satisfy him at all.

However, Kotschach already knew that Montina's army had occupied Monza, which made the Palace Prime Minister, like Ludvico, finally realize Alexander's purpose.

It was at this moment that Alexander finally agreed to meet with Kotschach.

The meeting place was not the town hall considered by the Palace Prince, but in a room at Paveia University. This room was large, and the dome supported by several marble stone pillars looked quite deep. Some of the already broken murals describe the story of an angel coming to the earth to declare to Joseph that the Son was about to come to the world, and some were some of the once glorious past events in Paveia's history.

The room was very cold, and it would make a mist when it breathed out. Looking at Kotschach who was walking in, Alexander grew up and opened his arms to him: "Welcome to you and my friends."

Gong Xiang paused for a moment, as if he wanted to see the young man in front of him carefully, and then he also opened his arms and hugged Alexander.

"I have to admit that I have never really known you before." Sitting on the wooden bench by the campfire, Kotschach murmured at the rushing flames, "I still remember the scene when you rushed into the camp and announced that we were your prisoners. I was not afraid at all, because I knew you would not do anything to me. You would only obey the rules that everyone follows, but we can be free when we hand over the ransom. This is what war looks like, it is like this everywhere, even the Ottomans will follow such rules, right?"

Alexander listened quietly. He knew that Kotschach was not trying to listen to his answer, but wanted to express his feelings. As expected, Gong Xiang continued: "But now I'm a little scared. You know what I'm afraid of. The rules have changed. In such cold weather, France and Austrian troops are still fighting, just to make themselves look safer, because they all think that the other party has posed a threat to them," Kotschach said, looking up at Alexander opposite the bonfire. "Tell me, when will the war become so cruel and terrible. You must know that even the long-cherished wish between Britain and France, the two sides are still willing to maintain the minimum respect, but now I see that everyone seems to be just thinking about killing the other party."

Gong Xiang looked a little depressed. His gray hair was scattered on both sides of his cheeks, which was very different from the person Alexander had thought of paying attention to his appearance.

"Actually, there is no adult," Alexander threw a firewood into the fire. Looking at the splashing sparks, he smiled at Gong Xiang. "Don't you think this is a real war? The so-called romance, courage and pursuit of honor that were only found in knight novels are actually so false. Now the army has truly begun to fulfill their duties. After all, they have a lot of money, but they do very little work."

Kotschach was a little speechless. He didn't expect Alexander to answer like this. He originally thought he would say "times have changed" and such acceptable words as "there are still acceptable, but Alexander's answer directly made Kotschach feel bored by his previous feelings.

"But this kind of destruction is terrible," Gong Xiang also tried to find some reasons. The key is that he wanted to convince Alexander. "Just like you now, you may be understandable to occupy Paveya, but occupy Monza," Kotschach shook his head helplessly. When he heard that the Montina people occupied Monza, Gong Xiang felt as if he was smashed hard with an iron hammer. Then he rushed out regardless of the guard's obstruction, and shouted that he must see Alexander immediately. Now he had already done his wish, but suddenly he didn't know where to start. However, after thinking about it, he still asked the words that made him feel uneasy, "Are you going to occupy Milan?"

Alexander did not answer the palace immediately. He looked up at the murals around the room and the dome above his head, and then said, "Sir, do you know this place? The University of Paveya is one of the most important European universities in Europe, which is not inferior to the University of Bologna."

Kotschach nodded a little upset. He felt that the young man he had known earlier was different from before. This was also the reason why he looked at Alexander carefully when he first met him, because in Gong Xiang's eyes, the young man in front of him was really different from when he first met him.

At that time, Alexander seemed to be a typical young man who ventured into Rome. He had such people almost every day. Some people always thought that Rome would have more opportunities to make them stand out, so they gathered in Rome from all directions, but most of them were always just one of the many people. Although some people might be famous for a while, they would soon be swept into the huge millstone of Rome and be shattered.

But Alexander was different. What did he do now? He was taking a solid step towards unifying the central region of Rome. Apart from a crown worthy of his name, he was almost the actual monarch of the Duchy of Romagna-Tuscany.

And his current target is Milan, which means that he not only satisfies the central part of Rome, but has turned his attention to Lombardy.

"There is a lot of knowledge in this university that is extremely precious to us. We all know that knowledge is the source of our no longer ignorance. In this regard, the Bible can let us know who we are, while other knowledge allows us to truly understand the world outside of ourselves," Alexander waved his hand to the palace who was about to speak and continued, "I know you think it is more inappropriate to use the Bible, but in fact we all know that we can now have such glory and more powerful and more effective killing weapons. These are the sources and knowledge." Alexander's expression gradually became solemn. "I will move Paveya University to Pisa,

I also have to invest a lot of money in Bologna. My goal is to make these two universities the most large and academically sound universities in Europe, even the world. I am also preparing to re-fund the art academy there in Florence. You know that during the reign of Savonalola, not only did the funding of the University of Florence significantly reduce the funds of the University of Florence, but later he even closed the entire university. If I want to restore the University of Florence to its early glory, I have to invest enough money. So, Lord Gongsun, do you think that in order to achieve these goals, should I make sure that my territory will not be threatened, otherwise how can I do it all with peace of mind?”

Kotschach's breathing was a little rapid. He felt that he understood what Alexander meant in topics that seemed completely unrelated to the negotiation.

It is obvious that Alexander's current identity has made him not satisfied with the status of just Count Montina. He is actively seeking a duke's crown in the Italian region. The investments he mentioned in several universities are actually a statement of his right to rule in these regions, because only the monarchs in these regions will truly care about the development and security of these regions.

For example, when Louis XII and Maximian occupied Milan, the first thing they thought was to transport a large number of spoils back to their country. As for what Milan did in the future, they actually didn't care.

So Alexander is actually making a disguised claim, and showing everyone his irrefutable determination to these regions.

"If the occupation of Paveya is for your importance to knowledge, then why is the occupation of Monza?" Kotschach asked helplessly. He actually had an idea in his mind, but he was unwilling to admit it.

"My daughter is very cute," Gong Xiang couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when he saw Alexander suddenly change the subject, but this time Alexander did not go around the extra circle again. "So I decided to give her a crown that indicates the most noble identity as a proverb for Pisa and Florence."

A pale suddenly appeared on Kotschach's face, which was originally blushed by the bonfire. He leaned forward, and the wooden stool sitting below was immediately turned over: "You are crazy, do you know what you are looking for?"

"I know very well what I am doing. As I said just now, since I have reasons to protect these territories, I must care about the security of the territories. In my opinion, the crown of Lombardy is the best guarantee."

Kotschach walked back and forth excitedly. Before he came to see Alexander, he thought that the worst possible thing was that Alexander had ambitions for Milan. However, even so, Kotschach still thought that he had a chance to convince him. Even if it were possible, Gong Xiang had thought about what kind of promise he should make not only could he persuade Alexander to give up seeking Milan, but he could also take advantage of the situation to pull him into the anti-French alliance.

Among them, he thought the most convincing thing was the recognition of Alexander's possession of the territory.

Maximian still knew a little bit about Caesar's ambitions. Although Caesar was much more honest than he was active everywhere in history because of the emergence of Alexander, the emperor still knew that the Pope was indulgent and supportive of his son's attempt to seek the territory of Romagna.

And he also knew that in order to realize this ambition, Alexander VI and the Dharma King had formed an alliance.

Of course, this is something the emperor does not want to see, so although Alexander has a close relationship with the Bogia family, his wife is a member of the Lovere family after all, and Old Lovere and the emperor have secretly formed an alliance, which makes Maximian rather recognize Alexander's rule over the central Rome than see the Bogia family succeed.

It was because of this confidence that Kotschach came to see Alexander, but now he suddenly realized that his previous ideas were obviously wrong.

Kotschach was even frightened when he heard Alexander say he was going to get Monza's Iron Crown of Lombardy.

"You are really crazy," Kotschach stopped and looked at Alexander. "Are you going to fight against the two most powerful kingdoms in Europe? If you dare to declare the capture of Lombardy today, you will be the enemy of all Europe tomorrow. You should know that this is impossible. Whether as an envoy of the emperor or your personal friend, I will stop you from doing this."

Kotschach was indeed very anxious. Over the years he and Alexander had much more than he had before, which made Kotschach happy and vaguely afraid. He could feel the terrible potential of Alexander, and the more he understood that trade alliance, the stronger the fear.

Now Kotschach could no longer tell whether he and Alexander were cooperated or used, or he was not sure whether he had become Alexander's pawn, but even so, in the face of the irresistible huge reward, Kotschach could not muster up the courage to refuse.

Gong Xiang had thought of getting rid of Alexander and the trade alliance established in the German city-state was mainly based on him, which gave him enough opportunities.

But when he tried to try this, Gong Xiang suddenly realized that he knew almost nothing about how this huge organization operated.

Once the trade transactions that seemed simple in the past became waste instantly once they left the whole of the free trade zone. It seemed that the reason why each part could work normally was because parasitism was able to exist in this alliance, and once they were separated, they immediately lost their vitality.

This made Kotschach both confused and uneasy. He knew that he had been tied to Alexander's carriage that was roaring forward. Whether he was running towards glory or falling into the abyss, he could no longer do so.

Because of this, Kotschach seemed more excited and anxious than anyone else about Alexander's decision. He imagined that Alexander might have tried to challenge his absolutely unbeatable opponent because of his previous success, and even suffered a bloody head and even suffered a complete defeat. Kotschach seemed to have seen that he would end up like this.

Looking at Kotschach's angry face, Alexander raised his glass of wine to him and drank it in one sip.

"Don't be excited about the palace. I believe that things won't be bad, because I won't let that happen," Alexander played with his empty wine glasses with his hands, looking at the rushing campfire. "My purpose of obtaining the Iron Crown is not to rule Lombardy. I'm not that stupid. I do this to get a security guarantee for my territory."

Seeing a trace of confusion flashing across Kotschach's face, Alexander continued: "I want to make sure Lombardy becomes a buffer between my principality and the threatening people. These threats are of course from France, but it may also be Austria."

Kotschach's eyes flashed, but he didn't say anything.

"Ludevicos Forza may not be a good ruler, but he is the ruler I need," Alexander looked at Gong Xiang, and a meaningful smile flashed across the corner of his mouth. "Lui's annexation of Milan is a bit too impatient, which will arouse the vigilance of other city-states. After all, no one wants to be the next one. In comparison, the emperor knows better how to make everyone obey his arrangements."

Kotschach's face looked a little unnatural, his body seemed to move uncomfortable, and then he looked at Alexander with a heavy expression.

"I have to think about my family and make sure they will not be hurt. This is something that no one can stop or destroy," Alexander glanced at the palace with a warning look. "I have to confirm whether the situation in Mulan will threaten Romagna and Tuscany. If so, I will be willing to do so at any time, just like now."

"I think I can understand your mood to try to protect your territory, but this is the Iron Crown. You want to use it as an excuse to intervene in Lombardy for granted in the future. It is impossible to be accepted..."

"Don't say it's impossible," Alexander interrupted Kotschach a bit rudely. "There is nothing in the world that cannot be changed. Compared with the Roman era, we are doing impossible things now."

"But the Roman era is much more popular than it is now," Kotschach shook his head helplessly. He felt that his words seemed so pale and powerless. Although he had become a passenger on the large ship that could not go down, Kotschach still didn't know him so well. But even so, Gong Xiang knew that this young man who made him increasingly unable to understand had unusual tenacity. When he was sure what to do, he would never give up unless he knocked him to the ground and couldn't get up. "So getting the Iron Crown does not mean that you have the legal power to interfere in Lombardy."

Alexander nodded slightly, admitting that Gong Xiang was right. The Iron Crown was just an item after all. Perhaps as time went by, this item with great historical value could be sold at a sky-high price in the future. But now, the small crown is actually more of a symbol. If anyone naively thinks that having such a dead object can become the master of Lombardy, then reality will soon make him understand that in an era of blood and fire fusion between spears, muskets, swords and cannons, Lombardy's Iron Crown could no longer add glory to anyone's crown.

"So I'm very happy with your arrival, Palace Prime Minister," Alexander smiled to Kotschach. "Although if someone else could convey my meaning to the emperor, I believe you will definitely let the emperor understand his current situation better."

Kotschach's heart suddenly tightened, and he knew that the things he had been worried about had finally happened.

"I will not betray my monarch." Gong crosstalk slowly but his attitude is extremely firm. "If you think this can threaten me, you're wrong. I'd rather be thrown into prison and be stripped of my lord than be a traitor."

Looking at Gong Xiang's unquestionable expression, Alexander was not surprised. He believed that Kotschach's words were serious. Perhaps whether he was loyal to Maximian was not the most important thing for him, but the honor of the family did not allow him to betray him.

"Don't worry, Gong Xiang, I won't force you to do things you don't want to," Alexander thought for a moment and made a promise. Seeing Kotschach's expression that seemed to be unaware of, Alexander gestured to Sher, who was standing not far behind, and then took out a thick document from the bag handed over to Sher and handed it to Gong Xiang. "I don't need you to say anything, just hand these things in the hands of the emperor."

Kotschach opened the document with some confusion. When he saw the strokes recorded on it in a sloppy pen, he was nervous at first, but when he arrived at the numbers that were even terrified, Gong Xiang's calmness could not be maintained anymore.

"Is this true?" Kotschach first instinctively expressed his doubts, but soon realized that his problem was a bit ridiculous. As the chief palace minister of the Austrian Grand Duchy, even if he was not the Minister of Finance, he roughly knew that the numbers recorded in these documents were obviously not fabricated out of thin air.

But when Cotschach thought that these things were true, he felt even more difficult to accept.

After years of war, the treasury of Austria is already very empty, while Maximian still spends a lot of money to realize his ambitions. Four years ago, it cost an astonishing 33,000 Ducat magnitude just to hold a wedding for his son's beautiful Philip.

The subsequent Italian War, Swabian War, and the huge losses caused by the loss of ownership of Hungary's copper mines made Maximian's financial situation even worse.

However, the worst news is the collapse of the Fuguer family, which completely cut off Maximian's financial path.

Now, in order to continue to benefit in the Roman region, Austria has been involved in the new Italian war again despite the emptiness of the treasury.

So, now the Grand Duchy of Austria is finally in trouble.
Chapter completed!