Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred and Seventy-Two: My whole life is like walking on thin ice
"Huh? The emblem on this four-wheeled carriage that is giving way is very rare... Does it belong to any noble family?"
"Ah! Director Nuno, that shouldn't be the emblem of a noble. It belongs to a Venetian Chamber of Commerce... The general manager of this chamber of commerce is the big Jewish businessman who lends money at the port and sells luxury goods in the city! As for this chamber of commerce's carriage... on weekdays
It’s really rare to see travel here!…”
The Portuguese royal family's four-wheeled carriage, pulled by two Andalusian horses, ran steadily on the gravel road on the outskirts of the city. Another equally gorgeous carriage retreated to the outer edge of the road to let the royal family's vehicles go first.
At this moment, Nuno, the Portuguese royal supervisor and the king's confidant, was sitting in the royal carriage. He squinted his eyes and looked at the closed curtain of the other carriage, but he couldn't see clearly who was sitting inside. How many people were there?
He looked at the two Slavic servants driving the car for a while, noticed the leather armor under the other's robe and the short ax on his waist, and suddenly thought deeply.
"Well... the Venetian Chamber of Commerce carriage appeared in the civilian area on the outskirts of the city... and the house of Knight Bruno is also in this area... interesting!..."
In this era, four-wheeled carriages are still expensive and fragile travel tools, and can only be used around large cities with good infrastructure. Once you go thirty miles out of the city, there are no smooth roads, and it is easy to damage the axles and chassis. And this
The chassis machinery of the stallion is also relatively complicated, and the maintenance cost is very high, which ordinary small nobles cannot afford to maintain... Therefore, this is a real status symbol, and it is the exclusive "supercar" for the royal family, big nobles and big businessmen!
"Master Steward, Knight Bruno's mansion has arrived!... Look, it's a very nice courtyard, the best in this area!..."
The carriage continued to run, and after a while, it arrived outside a magnificent courtyard. This courtyard was located on the outskirts of the city. Although it was a civilian area, the transportation location was good and the area was quite large.
"Several newly built brick houses... stables for raising horses... stone mills pulled by donkeys and mules... and wooden houses for servants... Wow! A civilian knight who has only been promoted for two years can actually buy this kind of house in the suburbs of the royal capital.
Industry. This is exactly the same as the wealth of some shabby barons... It seems that this guy has made a lot of money from the fleet in the Southern Continent..."
Seeing the situation in the courtyard and thinking of the carriage of the Venice Chamber of Commerce that he had encountered before, Director Nuno raised his eyebrows and became more and more certain in his heart. However, he did not take it seriously and did not show it on his face. Until Bruno hurriedly ran
After leaving the house, he took his beautiful wife and mixed-race son with him and respectfully saluted the royal visitor...
"Dear Lord Nuno! Bruno Kang, the royal knight, bows his head to you. May the Lord bless you, the pious one!..."
"God bless you! Bruno Kahn the Knight."
Director Nuno then smiled slightly and responded reservedly. He took another look at Bruno's wife and was a little surprised. It was not because he had any other thoughts, but because he was surprised by the woman's identity.
"Eh? She turned out to be a Moorish woman? Knight Bruno married a Moorish woman? Isn't he going to integrate into the aristocratic circle of the kingdom? Hmm... interesting!..."
In the opinion of Director Nuno, for a civilian knight like Bruno who comes from a humble background, marrying a dilapidated old aristocracy and marrying the daughter of a baron or a knight is the best way to change his class and integrate into the aristocratic circle of the kingdom! Like
Marrying a Moorish woman of a foreign race like this, apart from being more beautiful, would not bring any political benefits at all. She would even be regarded as an alternative by the traditional nobles and would not want to associate with her.
The consequence of not being accepted by the aristocratic circle is that this newly promoted royal knight will probably not be able to establish a legacy aristocratic family, and will fall down the class in the next generation and continue to decline...
In fact, if it weren't for the navigation and development of the Southern Continent, which left an opportunity to trade one's life for merit, and if it weren't for Sir Diogo Kang, who gave him a hand at the last moment of his life and promoted him to captain... there would be nothing like this
It is impossible for a young man with such a background and bloodline to stand out and be promoted to a noble of the Kingdom of Portugal!…
"However, this is not a bad thing... The less connected he is, the more he has to risk his life... And a foreign Moorish wife also means that the possibility of him colluding with the Castilians is very small... Of course,
Before you really give him this desperate opportunity, you have to take a look at his character and whether he knows how to be grateful. Otherwise, even if he survives desperately, he will not receive any treatment, let alone be promoted..."
Supervisor Nuno's mind was spinning, but he weighed all the pros and cons in just a moment. He still kept his face indifferent, just nodded lightly, and said to Bruno who knelt down on one knee to salute.
"Knight Bruno, His Majesty has summoned you. Come with me and take the royal carriage."
"ah!…"
Hearing this, Bruno trembled, obviously a little surprised. He raised his head uneasily, looked at the expressionless Director Nuno, then looked at the royal carriage parked outside the courtyard, and asked cautiously.
"Dear Director Nuno...I wonder why your Majesty suddenly summoned me?..."
"Your Majesty is waiting. Let's talk after we get in the car."
"Yes! Yes! It's just that the royal carriage is noble. Otherwise, I ride behind it?..."
Director Nuno ignored him and went straight to the carriage. Bruno stayed for a few breaths. His wife looked at him uneasily and reached out to hold his hand. Bruno shook his head, gently pulled out his hand and asked his wife to go back. Then,
He gritted his teeth, suppressed the fear in his heart, and got into the royal carriage that he had never entered before.
"Da da!…"
The four-wheeled carriage turned around and headed calmly towards the Sintra Palace. Nuno, the old director, was there, with his eyes lowered, as if he was asleep. But Bruno was like an ant on a hot pot, only daring to sit down.
Half of his butt. He glanced at Director Nuno from time to time, wanting to say something, but the other person kept his eyes closed and didn't look at him. After a while, he plucked up the courage and whispered respectfully.
"God... bless you! Dear... Dear Director Nuno, I don't know... Your Majesty suddenly summoned me... What important matters do you want to give me?..."
"Oh... His Majesty's order is of course an important matter. As for what it is... it has to do with the Columbus fleet at the previous port. After meeting His Majesty, you will naturally know..."
Supervisor Nuno looked calm, said a few words briefly, and closed his eyes again. Seeing this attitude of the royal supervisor, Bruno's fear not only did not lessen, but intensified. What kind of big thing could happen to him?
He, an ordinary royal knight, still wants to use a royal carriage to pick him up directly? Could it be that the goods he carried earlier...
"Da da!…"
The carriage continued to move forward, and the silence in the carriage seemed to be sleeping. As he watched, the Sintra Palace appeared in the sky, and the shadows of evening gradually enveloped the east... The uneasiness in Bruno's heart finally broke through everything. He gritted his teeth and said, "
He knelt down in the narrow carriage and bowed humbly to Supervisor Nuno on the other side.
"Dear Director Nuno! The king is summoning you soon... Please give me some advice!..."
"Oh? Give me some advice?..."
Seeing the kneeling Bruno, Director Nuno finally had a smile on his face. He knocked on the window twice, and the carriage suddenly slowed down, and the Sintra Palace, not far away,
It also seemed suddenly far away.
"Bruno...do you know...what did you commit?..."
"Ah! Did I commit a crime?...Respect Director Nuno, I have always been loyal to the royal family and worked diligently..."
"Forget it, since you don't want to say it, I won't force it... let's go! His Majesty is waiting..."
Director Nuno's expression turned cold and he closed his eyes again. Bruno felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave and quickly hugged Director Nuno's legs. He stammered and tried to remember his mistakes.
"Nu... Director Nuno... I... committed something... I committed something!... I... Columbus's ship in the port... I took my brothers, together with two other ships, to search for the property on the ship?... I took it away
The small bag of gold in the captain's chest...I will hand it over to the kingdom right now!..."
"Hmm...what else?"
"More...more?...I...I didn't..."
"When I came here today... I saw the carriage of the Venetian Chamber of Commerce... leaving your house... Bruno, you actually colluded with the Venetians and betrayed the interests of the kingdom?!..."
Supervisor Nuno stared closely into Bruno's eyes and spoke quietly, his voice suddenly stern. Bruno suddenly trembled, his whole body shaking with fear, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back!
"Ah! Ah this?... Lord Nuno... I... I did not betray the interests of the kingdom... I swear to the Lord! I just... sold... sold some... private goods from the Southern Continent... I just wanted to earn some gold coins... Lord
!I know I was wrong! I was really wrong! I will hand over all the private trade money to the kingdom and to you!..."
Bruno was so frightened that he hugged Supervisor Nuno's leg and cried in agony. Nuno frowned and knocked on the lathe again, and the carriage stopped completely.
"Tell me! How much have you done in private trade and how much have you earned over the years?"
"Lord Nuno...I...I have only returned from the Southern Continent three or four times in the past few years...each time I only brought one cabin's worth of cargo...no precious ivory, gemstones, gold...mainly inconspicuous spices, pepper, and black pepper.
, and some beeswax and fragrant wood...sold to the Venice Chamber of Commerce, they raised the price by 20%. And the money earned was divided among the brothers on the ship...We were not the only one on the ship, almost all the captains did this!...
"
In the carriage, Director Nuno squinted his eyes as he listened to Bruno stuttering, explaining all the private trade over the years. As he listened, his brows rose again. The value of the goods brought back from the maritime trade in the Southern Continent
It was so high, even if it was just a little private trade, the wealth flowing out of it would be hundreds or even thousands of gold ducats... It even made him, a royal manager who was not short of money, a little excited.
Just taking the goods and then selling them secretly has too many implications. It has long been an unspoken rule among the kingdom's maritime nobles. His Majesty Joao must be aware of it. As long as he doesn't go too far, he can only acquiesce. At the moment
, he was just intimidating the ignorant Bruno, but he would never really open up this layer of window paper and offend all the maritime nobles in the kingdom at once.
"O Lord! In just a few years, you have been greedy so much? Bruno, do you know how many times this number can make you hang in the royal trial?!..."
"Ah! Lord Nuno, I was wrong! I never dare to do it again! My loyalty to His Majesty and my loyalty to the kingdom are truly truer than gold!..."
"Um…"
After grasping Bruno's hand, Director Nuno looked at him carefully for a while, and saw that the other person was full of runny nose and tears, and he was really scared... Then he spoke leisurely and turned the conversation to the main topic.
"Bruno, you traveled around the southern continent, experienced the devil's curse, and brought back boatloads of wealth to the kingdom... Your loyalty to His Majesty and your loyalty to the Kingdom are also seen by His Majesty... If you don't have any wealth, as long as you
It’s not too much, it’s nothing. But you must not make a big mistake!”
"What is a big mistake? Colluding with the Castilians and the Venetians and leaking the secrets of the kingdom is a big mistake that is punishable by hanging!... Especially next, the king will summon you and give you a very important task.
A crucial task: According to the navigation records on Columbus's ship, explore the new route to the west and find the large island, the native kingdom that is connected to the East..."
"This is a vital event for the kingdom, and it is also a kingdom secret that must not be leaked!... Since I have recommended you to His Majesty, I value your ability and loyalty! I regard you as a talent worth cultivating... huh? No need to salute,
No need to kowtow...what? Give me half of the private trade? What nonsense are you talking about! How could I accept...70%? Hmm..."
"Haha! Bruno, you are good! If you know how to be grateful, you will be blessed by the Lord! ... As long as you can come back alive from the Atlantic Ocean and bring back the information about the new route... then the reward from His Majesty and the reward from the Kingdom will never be less.
!...Even if it is the title of Baron, I will fight for you to get further opportunities...Of course, the premise is that you must find the big island and complete His Majesty's navigation mission!..."
"Go! Let's meet His Majesty! Be honest and respectful. Whatever your Majesty asks, answer truthfully. Don't hide it. You can't hide it either... His Majesty is an extremely rational monarch. As long as you are useful to him, he will
I will use you and not care about your origin!...Bruno, you have to remember that your greatest use is your sailing experience and ability, you must hold on to it!..."
The four-wheeled carriage slowly drove into the Sintra Palace. The king's guard led Bruno until the main hall under the night sky was like some kind of dangerous nest. After an hour of audience, Bruno lowered his head.
He backed out sweating profusely. At this moment, he already had a logbook and interrogation records of more than a dozen crew members in his hands.
And a life-or-death sailing mission has weighed heavily on his shoulders. At this moment, he was worried, looking at the dark night sky, it was like standing on thin ice, staring at the abyss of the seabed.