Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 1893 1366: The Source of Rome's Turmoil, the Borgia Pope!

In the Sintra Palace, the portrait of the Holy Mother smiles faintly in the oil painting, displaying the "humanity" and "beauty of the human body" of the Renaissance era. However, in a casual decision, King Joao decided the fate of a noble, and even some insignificant commoners had their destinies predetermined.In this era, the harsh indifference of the Middle Ages in Europe cannot be associated with the impressions of the Enlightenment era two hundred years later. At this moment, Europe is the enduring aristocratic order of a thousand years, where the proportion of "humans" is scarce, where the brutal Inquisition reigns, showing no mercy or tolerance in matters of faith!

"Your Majesty, you have not yet replied to the letters sent by King Fernando and Pope Alexander VI half a month ago..."

Nuno Chief bowed his head, drawing King Joao's attention from an unexpected letter from afar to the other two anticipated letters.

No, it should be said that the letter from King Fernando of Aragon was within King Joao's expectations. However, the letter from the newly appointed Pope Alexander VI, like his unexpected rise to power, filled King Joao with surprise, disdain, and disgust!

"Ha! What a revered Borgia Pope! What an Aragonese Cardinal, a witness to the marriage of Fernando and Isabella, and the godfather of Prince Juan!"

Mentioning the newly appointed Pope Alexander VI, a look of disdain and cold laughter appeared on King Joao's face. This intense hostility was rarely displayed by this otherwise perfect monarch.

But Pope Alexander VI, the nephew of the former Aragonese Cardinal Afonso Borgia, from the very beginning of his journey into the Church, was deeply imprinted with the background of the Kingdom of Aragon, causing countless troubles for the Kingdom of Portugal!

Twenty years ago, it was this Borgia Cardinal who, on behalf of the Church, authorized and witnessed the marriage of Fernando with his eloping cousin Isabella. This Church-approved marriage provided religious legitimacy for their union and laid the foundation for the union of Castile and Aragon! The most immediate effect of this marriage was the outbreak of the Castilian throne struggle, completely shattering Portugal's plan to unify with Castile...

Moreover, during the Castilian throne struggle, this Aragonese Cardinal Borgia repeatedly acted on behalf of King Fernando, wooing the neutral and wavering Castilian nobility to support Queen Isabella, whose legitimacy was not prominent. He very likely spread "defamatory" rumors about Juana's lineage using his status as Cardinal. In return, King Fernando not only granted the Borgia family various privileges and benefits in the Kingdom of Aragon but also made Borgia Bishop the godfather of his eldest son, Juan!

Subsequently, the close ties between the Aragonese Royal Family and Borgia Bishop became even more tightly knit. Although many of the exchanges of interest were buried in secrecy, they could not escape King Joao's discerning eyes!

Thus, during last year's papal election, the Portuguese Royal Family closely monitored the situation and chose to support another renowned Cardinal, Giuliano della Rovere (Julius II). Unfortunately, in the end, the Borgia Bishop, who was supported by the Kingdom of Aragon and openly engaged in widespread vote-buying, prevailed in the election and ascended to become Pope Alexander VI...

Against this historical backdrop, after Alexander VI ascended the papal throne, it was inevitable that between the interests of the allied Aragon-Castile United Kingdom and the old-rival Kingdom of Portugal, he would favor one side's interests over the other! The letter of questioning he now sent clearly reveals the Pope's stance, bringing real pressure to the Kingdom of Portugal...

"Merciful Lord bears witness! The new Pope Borgia is filled with self-serving ambitions for power, lacking an ounce of sincere religious glory! He is a Byzantine schemer, adept in intrigue and politics, yet utterly devoid of credible religious morals, and is in no way capable of assuming the Pope's responsibility to lead the Catholic World!..."

"Hehe! This short-sighted Borgia Pope, just a few months ago, replaced 12 Roman Cardinals in one breath, even placing his eighteen-year-old son and his mistress's brother into the Lord's Cardinal Group... This is an insult to all Cardinals of various countries, trampling the prestige of the Vatican into the ground!..."

"This greedy Borgia even wrote to King Charles VIII of France, invoking that young man's desire for the Kingdom of Naples... Then, using the French threat, he twists faces and pressures to have the Neapolitan throne ultimately fall into his hands... Such reckless and short-sighted actions are playing with fire, serving as the source of turmoil for the Vatican!..."

"Watch! The French Cardinals are already greatly dissatisfied with the Roman Pope! The genuinely devout Della Rovere Bishop also publicly criticizes the Pope's 'sin of simony.' Given the current situation, the French advance into the Italian Peninsula, or even into Rome, will face no opposition from the French local Church forces; rather, they will receive the support of bishops from various regions!..."

"Lord bears witness! This Italian war is destined to erupt! The true flames of the Almighty will undoubtedly descend upon the Italian Peninsula at the hands of the young King Charles of France, scorching the greedy, vile Borgia Pope, burning away his papal crown completely and thoroughly!..."

King Joao's voice was loud, the passionate and confident words carrying a convincing power of persuasion!

For the past eight to nine months, he had maintained correspondence with King Charles VIII of France. From the responses received, he had come to the unequivocal judgment that, for the succession to the Kingdom of Naples, for the prosperous wealth of Northern Italy... the war of the French Kingdom advancing into the Italian Peninsula was already on the horizon!

This unprecedented Italian war is not merely a clash between the French Kingdom and the Italian states, nor merely a French affront to the papal dignity; it is also a great schism and civil war within the Vatican! This is all caused by the Borgia Pope, or at least, he ignited the fuse of the gunpowder. When the French army arrives, the Cardinal forces on the Italian Peninsula opposed to the current Pope will undoubtedly realign, seeking to leverage the power of the French army to change the status quo of the Vatican!

King Joao had a crystal-clear judgment: this imminent war, ignited by the greed of the French King and the Pope, will certainly not conclude with their satisfaction!

Both sides have allies they can draw into the battlefield, and for the sake of the dignity of both the King and the Pope, they each possess political reasons that leave them no room to retreat. Thus, this war is bound to be prolonged, and closely tied to the Pope and as a neighbor of France, the Aragon-Castile Kingdom is inevitably going to be drawn into the conflict!

"Lord protect us! Once the Italian war begins, once the Pope's dignity is swept away, and the Castile Kingdom is drawn into the war... at that time, the pressure and threat posed to the Kingdom of Portugal by the united Roman Pope and Castilian Kingdom will be abruptly alleviated!"

"However, until the war breaks out, the prestigious Roman Pope remains the Roman Pope, and the fierce and malicious Castilian Kingdom remains fierce and malicious... The Kingdom of Portugal must endure for now, regardless of how offensive these letters may be, I still have to feign compliance and respond in some measure! And the imprisonment of Columbus may have to cease here..."

The complex thoughts flashed through King Joao's mind, and the foggy situation of Europe was not at all blurry in the vision of this rational king. At this moment, his ambition and wisdom burned fiercely in his heart. He aimed to lead the Kingdom of Portugal to avoid possible risks and truly seize the opportunities and future of the Age of Discovery! And the only hindrance to him was never the mighty opponents and enemies, but rather...

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough!..."

King Joao's face suddenly flushed, and he started coughing violently. His coughs were heart-wrenching, and his breathing heavy and hoarse, causing his confidant Nuno to be at a loss, hurriedly supporting the king's back.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty!..."

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough! Cough..."

After coughing for quite a while, King Joao finally caught his breath, painfully swallowing a mouthful of saliva tinged with the taste of blood. He sat silently for a moment, his hand pressing against his aching lungs, feeling the increasing frailty of his body... Only after a long while did he let out a quiet sigh.

"Ah! The Merciful Lord has arranged everything, whether you wish for it or not... Nuno, hand me those two letters!"