Because when Matthias met Xu Guangqi, he brought a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's manuscript as a meeting gift. In return, Xu Guangqi gave him a pound of black tea and a set of exquisite tea sets.
Matthias left in an excited mood. From then on, he became a common "speaker" in Europe. He believed from the bottom of his heart that the people of Seris were all people of noble moral character. Because Xu Guangqi's gift was a great gift in terms of value.
A kind of support for his shabby current situation, and it does not hurt his face!
With the deepening of the mission's journey in Europe, tea has become the most fashionable drink in Europe. A month ago, a fast ship went straight to Malacca to add a new commodity to the spice trade route - tea.
Promoting tea is one of the important missions of the mission. After Xu Guangqi made a pot of tea for Felipe II in Madrid, he reminded the emperor in his report back home that Europe was likely to import tea on a large scale - to
In terms of the food customs of their aristocrats, once you get used to tea, you simply can't quit it.
Nowadays, European tea can only be obtained from gifts from missions. How many nobles want to follow the fashion and ask for a tael of black tea but cannot get it - Matthias can easily sell a pound of tea and tea sets for more than a hundred ducats, but with
With this money, he could at least add a few bodyguards and followers, so that he wouldn't have to wander around Europe with just one follower.
As the emperor's younger brother of the Holy Roman Empire, Matthias had access to various social situations. As he praised Xu Guangqi on different occasions, he also hinted intentionally or unintentionally that he was likely to receive financial support from Seris. In Rome
Some of the nobles have reestablished contact with him - after all, war-torn Europe is short of hard currency everywhere.
Xu Guangqi's mission gradually opened up as his reputation in Rome increased. At the mission station, envoys and visitors from various countries came in droves. Some of them asked about the details of the coup in the Principality of Tuscany, and some asked when the Serris Bank would be opening.
When opening a business, some, like Matthias, borrowed money directly or exchanged "small gifts" for tea. Xu Guangqi was also amazed by the ability of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and Matthias to take advantage of the opportunity to promote business.
On the surface, there is a peaceful diplomatic compound, but there are also turbulences underneath. Carlo Medici, as the representative of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, has been in fierce confrontation with various forces in the Holy See these days, and strongly condemns the Holy See's intervention in Tuscany.
inheritance affairs, and supported Ferdinando’s coup. For safety reasons, most of these exchanges were completed at the mission’s residence, and Xu Guangqi and others gradually learned about the new political situation in Europe:
After the Grand Duke of Tuscany tore off the veil of brotherhood after his brother's murderous attack, he personally put on Ferdinando's "Spanish boots" - also known as the "tibia crusher", which was the most popular thing in Europe at this time.
Common torture: The executioner will squeeze the prisoner's two lower legs between two curved iron plates. These iron plates are nailed with long nails, iron teeth and knobs. The violent squeezing and rotation will cause the prisoner's tibia to break.
and shattered fibula.
Ferdinando's bones were not as hard as he thought. Under torture, he burst into tears and began to explain. As the Grand Duke of Tuscany expected, Ferdinando's coup was opposed by the Medici faction of the Vatican.
Instruct.
After Gregory XIII fell ill due to malaria, all political forces in Europe that could intervene in the selection of the pope began to unite. The current head of the Medici family, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, bet on the Spanish line of the Habsburg family.
, and Felipe II supported Cardinal Giovanni Battista Castana, who presided over the baptism of Xu Guangqi.
Although Gregory XIII was at odds with Felipe II, he also supported Giovanni in the choice of pope - otherwise Giovanni would not have been able to preside over this significant baptism on behalf of the pope.
But Giovanni's ascension means that the interests of the Medici family's largest political force - France's Black Queen Catherine de' Medici - have been harmed.
Besides, other Medici opposed Giovanni.
For the Medici, the stable expansion of territory and power was the highest interest of the family. The birth and marriage of Catherine Medici were the careful efforts of two generations of Medici popes, Leo X and Clement VII.
As a result, almost all the Medici forces in the Holy See were loyal to Catherine and faithfully carried out Catherine's orders.
Therefore, this coup not only involved the Holy See and Spain, but also the Valois dynasty, the largest political force in Western Europe - France.
France is now in a state of turmoil. It has triggered many religious civil wars and the extravagant Henry III has exhausted the patience of the Parisians. The great nobles represented by the Duke of Guise are brewing a storm to seize power. Standing behind Henry III
Catherine Medici wanted to kill the thief but was unable to save her life.
But as the Queen Mother who has controlled the fate of France for more than ten years, she will never put her eggs in one basket. She once married her most beautiful daughter Margaret to King Henry of Navarre, regardless of the risk of death.
de Bourbon. This means that if Henry III, who has many male favors, cannot give birth to a male heir, Henry Bourbon, who is also a descendant of King Louis IX of France, will inherit the French throne after his death.
And this Henri de Bourbon happened to be the nephew of Cardinal Felice Priti de Montalto, the political enemy of Gregory XIII - of course, with Catherine Medici
The Medici represented by Felice Montalto intended to promote him to the throne of pope.
There is a technical problem here. Henry Bourbon is now a Huguenot and is incompatible with Catholicism. This not only caused a headache for Catherine Medici and Felice Montalto, but also gave Tosca a headache.
The biggest reason why Grand Duke Francesco Medici defected to Spain: The Medici should side with Felipe II. We all believe in Catholicism, right? Moreover, it is beneficial for the Medici to form an alliance with the most powerful country.
The future of the family.
This view cannot be wrong. Catherine Medici also married her daughter to Felipe II in an attempt to consolidate the status of the Valois court through marriage. But Felipe II’s ultimate goal was to unify Europe. This
This was something Henry of Valois and Catherine Medici could not tolerate. Therefore, the Valois dynasty was naturally at odds with the Habsburgs...
In the already chaotic situation, the court of the Holy Roman Empire also wanted to get involved. More than fifty years ago, Pope Clement VII was pinned to the ground by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and rubbed madly, "The Sack of Rome"
"Afterwards, Clement VII was imprisoned and signed a humiliating treaty - ceding territory and indemnity. The Medici family was forced to hand over the rule of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and Florence at that time became a republic.
Later, Cosimo I, the first Medici Grand Duke, re-ruled Florence through the power of Charles V's son, Felipe II of Spain. This is why Francesco I, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, continues to look up to Spain.
origin, but this is not consistent with the interests of the Medicis of Clement VII's faction.
As for the "orthodoxy" of the Habsburg dynasty, Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire hated his cousin Felipe II quite a lot - after all, Felipe II inherited the Holy Roman Empire from the time of Charles V.
Spain and the Netherlands, where the empire was most powerful, left only the Habsburgs empty shells.
Therefore, the Holy Roman Empire had the same interests as Catherine Medici in opposing Giovanni's election as pope. Matthias' appearance in Rome was not only for himself, but also partially represented Rudolf II in the selection of the pope.
One of the emperor's mouthpieces. Of course, if the bid is high enough, Matthias will not hesitate to betray Rudolph II and make peace with the Grand Duke of Tuscany - expressing the desire for a loan through Xu Guangqi is a small trick released
Test the ball.
In such a complicated situation, the status of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who controls the Medici Bank, gradually becomes important - after all, no matter who the second, third, or even emperor is, they need the Medici Bank to provide them with financing, otherwise they will be heavily in debt.
He had already gone to stay somewhere cool.
Children holding gold in the market is a vivid portrayal of the situation faced by the Grand Duke of Tuscany today. Once Ferdinando succeeds in his coup, the Medici, who have financial power, will be able to bribe cardinals with voting rights, and Philip will
S. Montalto was promoted to the position of pope, thereby ensuring Henry Bourbon's stable inheritance. The Medici family would still partially control France, instead of being controlled by Spain as it is now...
In the original time and space, Ferdinando succeeded, and Giovanni was defeated by Felice, who was supported by the Medici Bank, and Felice became the successor Pope Heathcote V. [Note 1] But in this time and space, because
The butterfly flapped its wings, Ferdinando's conspiracy was exposed, and the conflict between the two sides completely intensified. Only God knows what actions the angry Grand Duke of Tuscany and Felipe II will take.
As Gregory XIII became seriously ill and Ferdinand became a prisoner, Rome finally became the abyss of crime and conspiracy, a whirlpool of pretense and betrayal...