On February 23, 1525, there was a heavy snowfall in Northern Italy. This should be the last snow this winter. Although the French scouts were in good fighting spirit because of His Majesty the King's personal presence, in such weather,

Obviously it is impossible to carry out any combat mission.

Except for the camp blocking the gate of Pavia, which is still on high alert, the defensive measures in other camps are hasty, but it doesn't matter. In all the years of Europa's history, I have never heard of launching an attack in the snow.

Offensive.

Because of the heavy snow, the French Kingdom also suspended its military meeting for one day. The senior nobles gathered in the king's tent to share the joy of their monarch. They even played poker, which has become very popular in the court in recent years.

It’s been a long time since I’ve played a popular game.

Several lions are playing cards with the king.

"Haha, Cardinal Piccolomini said that he has always supported the monarch in appointing bishops. My most obedient servant Piccolomini supports the secular monarch in appointing bishops, haha." King Francois was playing cards and laughing.

Laughing. "Gonzaga, Este, Drovella, Orsini, Fonesse, who else is there?"

The contemporary King of France, François, has narrow eyes, slender eyebrows, and a pointed chin that does not harmonize with his luxurious silk robes.

Although he has the reputation of a martial king, he does not look like a soldier at all. If he looks like a knight from the outside, he is a "woman's knight".

However, at least His Majesty did not take women with him to fight, and he could resolutely resist such privileges that would damage the morale of the army. The king was able to restrain his lust, and the nobles naturally had no choice but to be restrained.

On this point, it cannot be said that he performed worse than Ladislaus.

It was this king who looked like a young boy who went to the battlefield in person at the Battle of Maggnano and broke the Swiss phalanx, causing those guys who thought he was just an inexperienced boy to suffer a big loss.

This time he was determined to demonstrate his military genius again.

"Giampaolo, Pacioni, Vitelli, Baglioni" the Cardinal Archbishop of Lorraine read out a series of names of Italian nobles. These vassals of Italian city-states and the Roman Church State naturally have no loyalty to the Habsburg family.

It can be said.

The Cardinal Archbishop of Lorraine and the Duke of Guise are brothers. Lorraine is their common family name, but nowadays the Duke of Guise usually takes Guise as his surname.

The two of them hold high positions in the French court, strengthening the alliance between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Lorraine, and are also pawns used by the king to suppress the traditional French nobility.

"These shameless rats react very quickly." His Majesty Francois scolded with a smile. "But this time we cannot punish them severely."

"They're just rats. We can deal with them anytime after we defeat the Habsburgs." The Duke of Guise also noticed that even the French nobles who hated him the most recognized him as an extraordinary lion and an excellent administrator.

But in front of the Dharma King, he was not very dignified.

Countless Italian nobles have eagerly colluded with the King of France. Their shameless and flattering words made an arrogant man like King Francois who was very happy with success feel that they were too much.

Forty thousand troops is really a stressful number. Although the Habsburg Allied Forces severely damaged the French army in the Battle of Bicca. However, as time went by, the details of the battle continued to spread, and most nobles believed that that time was

The Swiss are so stupid that they commit suicide by hitting a wall.

It's really a hard-fought battle, and everyone is generally optimistic about the French army, which has just won the Hundred Years' War and is gaining prestige.

The results of a series of scout battles were also in line with the speculations of the Italian nobles. Even with the strong hands of Spain and Austria, France was still no match.

The unfavorable morale of the Piacenzali coalition had long been known to most of the Italian nobles. These local snakes, who were scornfully called mice by the King of France, were brewing a dangerous trend.

"My most perfect knight, what do you think of the strategy of those nobles who say they want to stab the Habsburg family in the back?" Francois's court was one of the few who called Habsburg by the name instead of warlock.

Royalty refers to the place where Ladislaus's family came from.

"It depends on the Marquis of Pescara, but I don't think our old rival will let those little guys get a chance to bite him." The perfect knight Bayar still respects the judgment of the Marquis of Pescara.

The Marquis of Pescara's inclination to retreat cannot be said to be wrong. Although these Italian nobles cooperated with the Habsburg family because they were afraid of the French king, they would find other ways to protect themselves once they were unable to fight.

"Then let's see if he can withdraw to Naples wholeheartedly. But I believe Bayar can make them pay the price." Francois was very gentle towards his number one confidant, complimenting him with a smile on his face.

"My sword is always at your service and at the service of the Kingdom of France." Bayard said unhurriedly, his voice as steady as his sword.

"I don't think we should enter Rome or Naples. It would be better to first eliminate a few northern Italian city-states that are most closely related to the Habsburg family, and then ask other city-states to pay a sum of money." The Duke of Guise mentioned the future strategy.

"We urgently need new financial resources. The Provence region was ravaged by enemy forces last autumn and will no longer be taxed this year. Several provinces close to the Netherlands have also been on high alert since last year and consumed a large amount of supplies."

Although it has the largest population in Europe and the most efficient bureaucratic structure of this era, the Kingdom of France is also overwhelmed by constant wars. Although Marseille has not been captured, the tax revenue of Provence will inevitably be greatly reduced this year.

.

"Ah, my friend Guise, you are always so careful and worried. As long as you win the war, money will naturally come into your pocket." His Majesty Francois is always an optimistic person, and his plan

He is always ambitious. "I can't waste time in Italy. Life is so short. I can't afford to waste it. I want to chase the Spaniards all the way to Rome to make the true elect Pope surrender. Then I will continue to go south to capture Naples. This year I will

To completely conquer Naples, at the turn of next spring and summer I will cross the Pyrenees to inspect the city defenses of Madrid."

"I'm worried that His Majesty the Pope will not give in if he is elected. After all, we are very dependent on loans from the Medici Bank to maintain cash flow." Xiao Tanshur did not respond to the French King's humor. His objection was that the step was too big.

"If he doesn't lend us money, let's go to His Majesty, the Friend of the Merchant, to borrow money. Are the Venetians afraid to join the war and not even willing to give out money? My Kingdom of France can mobilize an army of 100,000, but I'm afraid it won't be able to get it."

Money?" His Majesty François was quite unkind to his ministers' conservative advice. "Friends. My dearest friends, ten years ago we defeated the Swiss warriors at Maggnano and subdued the Swiss warriors in Italy.

The Kingdom of France has created countless troublesome enemies. At that time, I thought the world was at my feet. But in the past ten years, I have accomplished nothing. I have not obtained the throne of the Holy Roman Empire, failed to control Italy, and failed to cross the Pyrenees Mountains.

I am already thirty years old, and at this age Alexander the Great has already trampled half the world under his feet."

"When Genghis Khan was thirty years old, he had not yet unified the orc tribes, Your Majesty." Xiaotanshuer persuaded his monarch in a different way.

"He spent the rest of his life busy killing and destroying. I want to create civilization and build an empire. Instead of turning the world into ruins, I have much more work to do than him." Francois, like all civilized people, has a deep appreciation for that man.

Although I have respect for the martial arts of the Orc Khan, I never want to simply conquer and destroy like him.

Xiao Tan Shu'er wanted to say something more. The perfect knight Bayar suddenly put his hand on his shoulder. Xiao Tan Shu'er then realized that he was not his father. Lao Tan Shu'er, the oldest person with evil qualifications, could say it, but he couldn't.

Now. His Majesty François's mood is no longer good.

The Duke of Guise and the Cardinal Archbishop of Lorraine had long been silent.

Xiaotan Shuer no longer persisted. Anyway, it would not be too late to wait until the Habsburg Allied Forces in front of him were defeated. If the Pope was really powerful, it would not be so easy to deal with. Maybe by then he would not let the French army pass through.

King Francois may not be forced to do so.

Although Xiaotan Shuer no longer insisted on admonishing, the atmosphere in the entire tent was finally over.

Just as the atmosphere was getting worse, a waiter came in to report that there was a letter from the envoy of the Marquis of Pescara.

"Haha, this guy is really clever, but I don't know if this cleverness will allow him to escape back to Naples." This letter was written to King Francois and Alfonso Alves, the commander in Pavia.

"You all take a look."

The letter stated that the Spanish army would withdraw and allowed the city of Pavia to surrender to the French on March 1.

"Perhaps we should pursue it immediately?" The Duke of Guise's proposal was unanimously opposed.

"Wouldn't the Spaniards retreat now? They have to wait for inquiries." Marquis Lautec spoke as a military representative.

"For three to five days, the road was completely unusable." The Duke of Montmorency also agreed with the Marquis Lautec.

"With such heavy snow, how to pursue? There is no need for other battles. Marching for one day in this weather will first lose 10% of the soldiers. If the Marquis of Pescara chooses to retreat now, unless the Pope really chooses the place where the Republic of Florence and the Church of Rome have been ordered

The officials worked hard to provide supplies along the way, otherwise they were lucky that 50% of the Spaniards could return to Naples." Although His Majesty Francois is arrogant and arrogant, his military ability is still qualified after receiving the monarch's education since childhood.

.

However, Xiao Tanshur did not speak. Although the Duke of Guise was the political enemy of most of the traditional French nobles, the status of Tan Schur and his son was very aloof. They could not participate in these struggles if they did not want to.

"What's wrong, my most perfect knight, what are you looking at?" His Majesty François noticed that Bayar had been looking at the east for a while.

"Duke Montmorency, Marquis Lautec, come here." Bayard did not immediately return to the question of the monarch. His relationship with Francois did not need to be so rigid, and Francois did not care about small details.

People. "Look, is that smoke?"

The three top warriors looked at it for a long time, but still couldn't confirm it. Xiao Tanshur cast a "Next Sharp Eye" on Bayar to give him the vision of a devil.

Although the Kingdom of France is wealthy, the cost of a seventh-level magic is still not a small amount, but it must be generous for military purposes.

"There was fire coming from the direction of Piacenza." Now Knight Bayar was sure that he could see the smoke in the distant night.

"Really choose to retreat now?" His Majesty François was slightly surprised at first, and then burst into laughter. The Spanish and Austrians were afraid of his pursuit to this extent, "In this case, I don't want to bully them too much, so just let

The Marquis of Pescara returns to Naples and the Cardinal of Habsburg returns to Vienna.

"Let them linger for another two days, and we will deal with them one by one."

"I don't know how they can fight against our 40,000-strong army if there are only a few thousand people left by then."

Even Shuer and Bayar from the stalls joined in and said congratulations.

There is only one person who is not so relaxed, and he is the Duke of Guise, who is recognized as a sycophant.

Although he also flattered everyone, the Duke of Guise frowned slightly. He had a doubt, could it be too easy?
Chapter completed!