One day in mid-April, when the night gradually enveloped the sea, a small boat slowly docked in front of the stone steps that were poised into the water by the pier.

A burly figure in a thick cloak jumped ashore from the boat. When his feet landed on the ground, the man turned back to look at the sea in the distance in the night. There was a big ship that had just been sent to him floating on the sea. Although the man on the boat did his best to make him feel comfortable during his trip, the man still vowed that he would never suffer at sea again.

A carriage was already waiting on the shore, and four strong pull-up horses were sniffing and kicking their hooves impatiently.

"Go to the cathedral." The man who had just gotten in the car immediately said to the coachman.

The carriage passed by the street in a quiet night, alarming the wild dogs that had returned to their nests. For a moment, the barking of dogs was everywhere in the town.

The man in the carriage closed his eyes and started to take a nap. He had indeed suffered the ups and downs along the way. Although this was nothing compared to his previous experience, what really made him feel tired was something else.

There is a distance from the dock to the cathedral, which gives him some plenty of time to get a little news. After all, when he appears in front of people, he must be full of energy and even a bit arrogant and domineering.

Isn’t this always the case? An arrogant, domineering and extravagant person.

The man leaned against the chair with his eyes closed and stretched the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was not sure whether it was a sarcasm or a helpless smile.

Although it was already late at night, the lights had been lit in the Cathedral of Valencia, and the expensive butter candles shine brightly on the church. Archbishop Valencia, wearing a white robe, sat in a chair, looking at the bishops beside him, waiting for them to speak.

"How do we greet this duke?"

A bishop asked in a tentative tone that he felt he was unlucky. In fact, he came to Valencia to report his duties to the archbishop. If he had not been greedy for a woman, he should have returned to his diocese during the day, but now he has to stay here to accompany the archbishop to greet the headache-inducing person.

The Archbishop glanced at the bishops beside him. He knew that these people actually didn't want to get involved in this obviously thankless thing, but now he had no choice. After all, he had already received news a few days ago that the Gonzalo was going to land in Valencia. According to the person who returned to report the news before, the San Salvador carrying Gonzalo had already docked in Port Valencia.

The Archbishop was in a complicated mood for Gonzalo and was very clear that although he had given him important tasks and handed over the command of the Aragon Expeditionary Force several times, Ferdinand actually did not like Gonzalo and even had a lot of taboos towards him.

The Archbishop even knew clearly that Ferdinand sent Gonzalo to Italy many times, just to transfer him from Castilla. After all, this man had a very high reputation among the Castilla nobles and was a real power figure who truly controlled the army. This was a very big obstacle for Ferdinand to eradicate his opposition in Castilla.

And sending far away to Italy, far away from Iberia, commanded his own Aragonese army, which is enough to ensure that this guy who always causes trouble will not cause trouble for him.

After all, Gonzalo was Isabella's favorite minister and general. The method of sending it to the stake or throwing it into the trial to death was obviously not feasible for this person.

But now Gonzalo suddenly returned. Although this was the Queen's order, it was enough for Archbishop Valencia to be a little busy.

When the archbishop thinks of the unruly man and is said to have publicly scolded the pope for his bad deeds, he feels that this is really a bad guy who is difficult to deal with.

"Gonzalo de Cordoba was an important figure who both monarchs relied on as important officials, and he showed his heroic performance in fighting the pagans and defended the world of Christ without invasion. These achievements were enough to give him the attention and courtesy he deserved."

The Archbishop felt more cautious. Although the rumors spread in the Zaragoza court were very unfavorable to the Queen's love general, there were even rumors that he was involved in a conspiracy against Ferdinand. Not long ago, the Don Bavi rebellion broke out in the south of Castilla, but the Archbishop thought it would be better to be careful. After all, it was a very naive move to show hostility and alienation rashly when this situation was still unclear.

Who knows if this famous Castile general who has been deeply tabooed by the king has a chance to regain trust?

The carriage had entered the city, and what surprised Gonzalo was that although it was late at night, all the street lights in the square outside the cathedral were still on.

He knew that this was obviously not a negligence by the street light guards, so it should be Valencia's Cathedral in this way to express his greeting.

Gonzalo smiled, but the smile seemed full of sarcasm. He was not moved by this exciting and enthusiastic welcome. Instead, he saw a deep taboo from Zaragoza for him.

When he was in Venice, he had heard rumors in China that he had participated in the conspiracy against Ferdinand, which led to the Aragonian generals trying to deprive him of command for a time, and even someone wanted to arrest him.

However, these conspiracies collapsed under his tough measures and allowing the army to face the threat of the Ottomans themselves.

The Aragonian generals knew very well that without Gonzalo they would not be able to fight against the Ottomans, and in desperation they could only choose to compromise and continue to obey his command.

However, Gonzalo also knew that this was really just a temporary measure. The news about him in China was getting worse and worse, which made him even secretly make a plan to escape.

It was just that his trust in the queen and concern for the family honor made him unable to make up his mind. After all, once he fled to the Cordoba family, the reputation of the Cordoba family would be ruined, which was something he absolutely did not want to see.

So although far away in Italy, Gonzalo kept paying close attention to what happened in Iberia until he heard of a rebellion in Andalusia in the south.

Gonzalo saw hope, and he knew that Don Bavi was a difficult person to deal with. This old man could be regarded as a proof of the late stage of the regaining of the Lost Lands. He participated in almost all the wars in the last few decades of the regaining of the Lost Lands. His rich war experience was no less than himself.

Gonzalo felt that no one was more suitable to be Don Bavi's opponent than him, and with the continuous defeats of the Venetians at sea, they had gradually given up all colonies in the Aegean Sea and Adriatic overseas, which made Gonzalo's army unsuccessful.

This made Gonzalo feel that it was indeed time to leave.

What's more, he had made a fortune in this war, and with just a few support to Crete, he received a great deal of reward from the beautiful Regent of Naples.

Moreover, both the Venetians who were unhappy and Taranto, who also received his support, generously paid him enough that his ship called San Salvador had to throw away a lot of ballast because it was too full.

Since he had nothing to miss in Italy, Gonzalo began to wait for the opportunity to withdraw from this bad place's reputation.

To his dismay, the Queen's order finally came. On the second day after receiving the appointment to quell the southern rebellion, Gonzalo, who had already packed his luggage on the ship and prepared for the preparation, handed over the command to the Aragonian general, and then boarded the ship and left Brucia, the last overseas port in Venice in the Adriatic Sea.

After several bumps, Gonzalo landed in Valencia. The reason why he chose this place instead of Barcelona, ​​which is closer to Zaragoza, was because he had a lot of thought.

Although I believe the Queen will protect him, I am very wary of Ferdinand and Gonzalo.

He was worried that Ferdinand would try to eradicate his threat because of his taboos. The rumors about his participation in the conspiracy against Ferdinand were too alarmist. Gonzalo had to worry that the queen might be bewitched by Ferdinand.

Or it is not impossible for Ferdinand to simply take action first and then report, after all, it is still far from Castilla here.

And there was another reason he chose Valencia, because he heard from the Queen of Naples that there was a merchant named Diego, who now seems to be in Valencia.

When he discussed and cooperated with Alexander in Rome to do business, Gonzalo didn't care too much, but later he unexpectedly discovered that the perfume business had brought him a lot of money. Starting with this perfume, rum and sugar from Crete made him make a fortune in his hometown in Iberia.

This almost made Gonzalo one of the richest nobles of the Iberian nobles, and these businesses were the local merchants of the Tiego.

And this is also the reason why Gonzalo spared no effort to send troops to rescue Crete, who was threatened by the Ottomans, because it deeply involved his own interests.

Gonzalo believed that since Diego could do his business so big, he should have many ways, so he decided to stay in Valencia first, so he would take the opportunity to inquire about the latest news.

The carriage slowly stopped in front of the cathedral, but Gonzalo slowly got off the carriage after the archbishops who were already waiting took the initiative to step forward.

Seeing that the Archbishop tried his best to restrain himself, he still showed a faint anger, Gonzalo's mouth was used to sneering a touch of ridicule.

He knew that these people didn't like him and were even more jealous of him, but that didn't matter. He believed that as long as the queen still favored him, Ferdinand would have no way to deal with him for a moment.

So no matter how arrogant and domineering it is, as long as the queen favors her, it is safe, and even if necessary, it must be like this, because only in this way can the suspicious Ferdinand rest assured.

"Welcome your Duke, God bless our heroes, it is your feat that prevents the invasion of the pagans."

"Dear Archbishop, God's assurance blessed me, at least not allowed me to die in a foreign land because of a lack of soldiers," Gonzalo walked up and looked at the clergy, who was said to be one of Ferdinand's confidants. "I have asked the king to increase my troops more than once, but the reply he sent me was nothing but empty promises. If it is God and myself that I can achieve the current record, I do not think it is an exaggeration, because your king has not given me a little practical help except to start that pitiful little army."

After Gonzalo said that, he ignored the stunned Archbishop and walked into the church alone.

Archbishop Valencia stood on the steps with an ugly face. The bishops next to him were also stunned. They never expected that Gonzalo would say such words that made everyone extremely embarrassed as soon as they met.

The Archbishop turned around and followed Gonzalo with a deep face. Seeing him respectfully kneeling down and kissing the cross on his chest before entering the church, the Archbishop quickly walked to him and held out his hand in his anger.

Gonzalo respectfully kissed the Archbishop's hand, but then he stood up impatiently and exclaimed at the tall entrance of the church: "This is really a masterpiece of God, but I promised to keep this land favored by God. Now it seems that everyone here should thank me for the safety I have brought to them, right?

The Archbishop's face was unspeakable and ugly. He felt that this person was even more arrogant and rude than the rumored ones. Especially now, he probably already knew why Queen Isabella wanted to call him back so urgently, which made him even more unscrupulous.

"The king hopes you can arrive in Zaragoza as soon as possible, and he wants to listen to your experience in Sicily in person."

The Archbishop deliberately said Sicily very seriously. He was reminding Gonzalo not to forget that he had participated in the Venetian war without authorization, and it was not over yet.

Gonzalo heard the archbishop's warning hint, he stroked his huge chin and smiled at the archbishop.

"So you think I should go to see the king?"

"This is the duty of a minister, isn't it?" The Archbishop's face was already gloomy. He stuck to the gems of the cross and hung beads, saying in an inquiring tone, "God gives the monarchs the power to rule, then this authority is inviolable. Should anyone who tries to it be punished, Duke, don't you think so?"

"Of course, but at least this monarch should be respected, otherwise this authority would easily turn into a bluff," Gompatti's merciless counterattack made the Archbishop look incredible, but he refused to give up, but continued, "I once sent back a large number of spoils to Aragon when I first went to Naples. At that time, the king not only respected me but also had enough friendship, but this time he always blamed me. I think this is just because I did not satisfy someone's selfish desire to squeeze wealth from me. How could such a person with doubts get my respect."

The Archbishop opened his mouth gently. He wanted to say something, but found that he could not speak at all.

He really didn't expect that Gonzalo would be so arrogant that he directly accused Ferdinand of such unreasonable words and deeds.

"So it is impossible to let me bend my knees before such a king," Gonzalo glanced at the Archbishop, knowing that his words would soon reach Ferdinand, but he had decided to rush directly to Valladon. Although Isabella's letter did not directly explain it, Gonzalo still felt the queen's worries between the lines. "So I will write everything in Venice into a report, but I myself have no time to delay here."

After saying that, Gonzalo bowed perfunctorily to the Archbishop, then turned around and walked towards the carriage parked under the steps.

From beginning to end, he did not enter Valencia Cathedral.

Behind him, the Archbishop stared at the back of the Castile. At this time, he could not help but admit that the king tried his best to send him far away. There was indeed a reason.

Although Gonzalo was arrogant, he was not blindly arrogant. He keenly felt that he could not stay in Aragon for a long time, and after meeting with Diego, his concern was confirmed.

What surprised Gonzalo was that the place where Tiego met him was a villa outside Valencia, Duchess of Gandino.

What he didn't expect was that the duchess seemed to have some inhumane relationship with Diego.

This somewhat aroused Gonzalo's curiosity, but soon a piece of information revealed to him by Maria de Luna made him feel unintentional to inquire about the messy things.

"Obviously, there are people in the Zaragoza court trying to do your best."

Maria de Luna looked at Gonzalo who was frowning opposite her. Of course, she knew this favorite minister in front of Isabella. Gonzalo's rebelliousness when facing Alexander VI in Rome made her impressed her, but now she looked at this person with a sense of high slight sank.

It sounds strange that this feeling actually comes from the Balearic businessman next to her whom she had disdained before.

It was this person who used her affair to threaten her to secretly spread unfavorable news about Gonzalo in the court of Zaragoza.

With the rumors, whether true or false, the suspicion of Gonzalo in the Zaragoza court became more and more serious.

Because of this, Maria de Luna knew clearly how fearful Ferdinand had reached in Gonzalo, and this was the goal that Diego had been trying hard to achieve.

Now, Gonzalo was right in front of her, but it was such a beloved general who was favored by Isabella, who had no idea that he had been played with and handed down by the seemingly respectful and polite businessman next to him.

Maria de Luna suddenly felt that this Balearic merchant had a charm that made her unable to resist. Compared with this man who looked inconspicuous but could leverage the palaces of the two kingdoms, Pedro Caderon seemed so artificial and pale. Even if he was bold enough to murder Giovanni, what was it compared to this man?

This man made both monarchs his prey.

Thinking of this, Maria de Luna suddenly felt a little throbbing in her heart. She remembered that although Diego had such extraordinary skills, all this ultimately came from the Duke of Roman Thesia.

So what kind of striking ambition does that person have?

It was only then that Gonzalo's words interrupted Maria de Luna's reverie.

"So tell me your advice," Gonzalo told Tiego. "I have decided to leave Aragon right away, but do you really think Ferdinand will be against me?"

"Then why didn't you go ashore in Barcelona directly, or did you feel uneasy about Ferdinand yourself?" Diego did not show any cowardice because of Gonzalo's identity. For him, the only brothers and sisters who could make him feel awe were probably the only brothers and sisters. "Duke, Ferdinand's hostility towards you is very obvious, so what you can do now is not just leave Aragon immediately, but even if necessary, you should rush directly to Andalusia instead of Valladot to meet the queen."

"What did you say?"

Gonzalo's eyes narrowed, and a dangerous look flashed in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Duke, I'm not trying to provoke your relationship with the Queen," Tiego waved his hand. "On the contrary, I think this is your loyalty to the Queen. You must know that Ferdinand is now using the excuse that his peace talks with the French have damaged Aragon's interests, and then tried to use this reason to interfere in the rule of Castile. For this reason, even Queen Isabella cannot refuse him. So do you think if he punishes you for your unreasonableness at this time, do you think this is a big problem for the Queen?"

Gonzalo's expression gradually became serious.

He knew that Tiego's words were not impossible, at least Ferdinand's ambition was unquestionable.

Then if that happens, even though he has always believed in the queen's favor, Gonzalo really doesn't know who Isabella will choose between her husband and her favorite minister.

"So now the only one who can help you is the rebels of Andalusia," Diego smiled at Gonzalo, knowing that he had successfully impressed the love general of Isabella. "As long as they exist for one day, you are not only safe, but also irreplaceable, so your best choice now is to rush to Andalusia directly, which will not only benefit you, but also avoid a lot of trouble for the Queen."

Gonzalo's big chin seemed to shake, and his eyes were fixed on Diego's face for a long time, and then he asked in a muffled voice: "Tell me, what is your purpose? I know that you will never just think about me for the little business you said, so what do you or your master want to do?"

Gonzalo said as his hand was already pressed on the hilt of the sword, and his eyes once again showed a terrible murderous intent.
Chapter completed!