Chapter 607: At the end of 1488 AD, letters from the east, the Seris people!
Gold candlesticks are hung on the four walls of the hall, highlighting the wealth of the Portuguese royal family. The candlelight shines, illuminating the large oil statue of the Virgin, like the Holy Spirit. The Virgin's benevolent smile, with the light of humanity, is looking at the hall.
Two people. This is the latest holy painting from the city-states of the Apennine Peninsula. It completely breaks through the rigidity and abstraction of traditional holy images, making the saints come to life!
Under the gaze of the Virgin, Dias lowered his head and carefully read the precious letter in his hand. This letter took more than half a year and traveled more than 8,000 miles before arriving at the palace in Sintra, bringing precious
of Eastern Intelligence.
"My esteemed Majesty, your loyal knight, Pero da Covilhã reports to you... For the grace of the Lord and the glory of the kingdom, I am about to set off from Cairo to the most important place in the stars and the moon.
The Holy Land, the legendary place where the Holy Book first appeared... I have learned many rumors about India and Seris from the merchants traveling there, and on the more eastern coast, there will be more detailed news about sea routes!...
.”
"Chevalier Pero da Covilhã? It's him!"
Seeing this, Diaz's expression flashed, thoughtfully. He thought of a young face with Moorish characteristics, both pious and fearless.
"Well. Little Perot was born in the kingdom and was a native of Beira. He once served for the younger brother of the Duke of Medina Sidonia. A few years ago, he became my knight squire and took care of my horses. Even though I have canonized him
As a knight, he still always considers himself a squire."
Speaking of this, João II smiled. The loyalty of young Perot was the reason why he chose the other party as the envoy and spy of the Kingdom of Portugal.
"Little Perot's ancestors have Moorish ancestry. He is very proficient in Arabic, and his appearance is also easy to confuse... Diaz, two years ago, you sailed a sea ship from the southern continent to the east. And little
Perot went to Egypt, infiltrated the Arab caravans, and searched for specific information about India and Seris from the traditional Silk Road...What you discovered is the top secret of the kingdom!"
Hearing this, Dias nodded slowly. He looked expectantly and continued reading.
"...The Egyptian Mamluk generals and the Ottoman army have just concluded a battle that lasted several years in Adana in the north of the Syrian province. Tens of thousands of Mamluk troops mobilized and defeated two Ottoman armies.
The Ottomans' ambition to expand into Syria was temporarily repelled... When I wrote this letter, Cairo was holding a victory celebration and giving out free bread..."
"It's just that the Egyptian generals are deeply contradictory and have frequent internal fights. This ancient Pharaoh's country seems to be full of a stale flavor... In contrast, the Ottoman Sultan is as formidable as lightning.
The fighting spirit... Phew! There is no distinction between good and evil in pagan wars, they are all fought by devils, and among the two devils, I am more optimistic about the new one..."
Seeing this, Dias frowned. Because of the fall of Constantinople, the people of God generally hated and feared the rapidly rising Ottomans. And the Mamluk generals in the southern continent had long been lost.
The enterprising spirit no longer poses a threat to the world of God. In fact, the Kingdom of Portugal and the Mamluk generals of Egypt even have secret business contacts. And this precious letter was delivered back through such channels.
of.
"...Your Majesty, in the process of talking with Egyptian merchants, I discovered the source of their spices and heard more accurate news from the East. Their spices are all from the trading nodes in the southeast of the Red Sea, connecting ports on the southern continent
Come from the city of Aden. There, you can find merchant ships traveling to and from India. And this pagan port city will also be my next target!"
"The port city connected to the southern continent, Aden?"
Dias was slightly startled. He had a vague hunch that it was the northernmost point on the east side of the southern continent.
"...When I arrived in Aden, there were not only ships going to India, but also ships going to the east side of the southern continent. According to another businessman from Lower Egypt, all the way south from Aden, the entire east side of the southern continent
, are all dark-skinned tribes who believe in the stars and the moon. And the legendary kingdom of King Solomon, where the Gate of Alexander and the Fountain of Youth are located, the Kingdom of Elder John, is surrounded by the dark-skinned tribes of the stars and the moon!"
"...Your Majesty, after my repeated calculations, the location of Elder John's Kingdom is at the southernmost end of the upper reaches of the Nile River, west of the port of Aden... somewhere between 15 degrees north latitude and the equator!"
"Ah? Between 15 degrees north latitude and the equator!"
Seeing this exact description, Dias was shocked. He finally understood the reason why the king asked about the latitude of the voyage. It turned out that from the Cape of Good Hope to the east and north, along the edge of the southern continent, it took a full 40 latitudes.
Only then can we find the country of Elder John!
"Dias, little Pero told me that the eastern side of the southern continent, which stretches for thousands of miles, is a black-skinned country that believes in the Star and Moon. There are many merchant fleets of the Star and Moon Sect there, especially the coastal Oman
The largest number of people are caravans. It is said that there is a Malik dynasty in the east of the peninsula near India!"
Speaking of this, João II looked solemn and spoke in a deep voice.
"These pagan merchant fleets control the spice trade in India. If the kingdom's merchant fleet wants to go north, they must be defeated!"
"Omani?..."
Diaz nodded and was silent. The kingdom's expedition fleet worked hard to bypass the southern continent and head north. Unexpectedly, in the end, it would still run into the fleet of the Xingyue Pagans!
"Therefore, the kingdom should establish maritime strongholds along the southern continent, but do not advance too aggressively. Before accumulating sufficient strength, do not advance too far and attract the pagan navy."
John II lowered his eyes and decided on a new maritime strategy. The route to East Africa is too far, blocked by the storm at the Cape of Good Hope, and the enemy is too powerful. At this stage, it is still necessary to focus on consolidating the interests of the West African coast and build more
Fortresses and strongholds, controlling coastal kingdoms and gold mines.
Hearing the implication of the king's words, Dias was a little anxious. He spoke again sincerely.
"Your Majesty! The route to India is only the last step! I am willing to lead the fleet and go to sea again..."
John II stretched out his hand to stop the royal steward's request.
"Dias, don't worry. Just read on. Little Perot will sneak into the Omani fleet and follow them to India. Moreover, he will record the latitude and signs along the way to provide more accurate information for the kingdom's future navigation.
information!"
"...yes."
Dias pursed his lips and looked at the damaged letter in his hand again. For the navigators of the Kingdom of Portugal, the East has never been so close.
"Your Majesty, I learned from an Indian sailor that the lands that Alexander the Great once conquered are now occupied by the Kingdom of Stars and Moons! The Stars and Moons Religion has penetrated deeply into the wealthy India. It once defeated the Ottomans and occupied Persia and
The Mongol Khan in northwest India has been dead for many years. His empire has also been shattered..." "And in Mesopotamia, the Turkmen Aries Dynasty is also falling into division and civil strife. The Ottomans
The threats from the east have all disappeared, and there are no longer any checks and balances..."
Seeing this, Dias looked solemn. He sighed secretly and looked at the end of the letter.
"God bless you! Your Majesty, at the end of the letter, I have one last piece of good news! That is information about the Silk Kingdom in the East, the Seris people!"
"More than fifty years ago, the emperor of the Seris people sent an extremely large merchant fleet to the port of Aden! It is said that the fleet had one or two hundred Clark ships and more than ten thousand sailors and soldiers.
Loaded with expensive silks and porcelain from the East, it came from the southernmost part of the Indian continent...The huge wealth brought by that fleet made the Omani caravans fond of it, even half a century later!...
"
"What! One or two hundred Clark ships, more than ten thousand sailors and soldiers?"
Diaz's face was full of shock. After a moment, he shook his head and laughed. Such a huge navy was even larger than the total number of Western European countries at this time. It must be based on false rumors! However, the Silis people's silk and porcelain.
..
Dias raised his head and looked at Joao II. Both of their eyes were shining with incomparable desire! A thin Byzantine silk short coat was worth two hundred Venetian ducats, almost its own weight.
A hundred times. And the value of a silk robe that truly comes from Siris is enough to drive the nobles of the kingdom crazy!
"The Seris of the East...the land of silk where wealth flows..."
Dias carefully held the letter in his hand as if he were holding the exquisite and expensive silk of the Seris people. He couldn't wait to read the end of the letter.
"Merciful Lord, protect the kingdom! Your Majesty, I am about to take the Omani merchant ship to the Holy Land of Stars and Moon, and then to the port of Aden to find the rich India and Seris!..."
"I also bought some Siris papers from the Omanis. There are poems composed of a thousand Siris characters on them. It is said to be for the enlightenment of young children. In the future, if the kingdom wants to do business with the Siris people,
I must master their writing...May the Lord bless me and allow me to return safely!”
"A thousand words of enlightenment? The poetry of the Seris?"
Dias looked at the king with curiosity in his eyes. The Seris people appeared in ancient epics for thousands of years. Everything about them seemed to be veiled. In addition to the silk and porcelain that symbolized wealth, they also seemed to have very special
An ancient and splendid civilization.
"Hmm. The characters of the Seris people are the same as those recorded by ancient Roman scholars. They are strange square characters that look like mysterious pictures..."
Joao II nodded and smiled calmly.
"I have asked the royal court envoy to take it and study it carefully... The kingdom's fleet keeps moving forward. One day, we will meet the Seris people and obtain the real wealth of the East!"