Vol 4 Chapter 175: Opportunities for Machiavelli

The Arno River flows through Tuscany from time to time. The flowers on both sides of the river from time to time are refreshing and refreshing. The coolness of the river makes travel more comfortable and relaxing. , The people on the ship will have a sense of inexplicable superiority.
Machiavelli stood on the surface of the boat's head split by the hull and rolled up small waves, and then the river flowed back along the hull, although sometimes he was thinking about whether the river was flowing or the boat under him This kind of esoteric question, but he spends more time thinking about something more practical.
It has been some time since entering the Florence government. With his own talent and more support from Sazi, Machiavelli quickly established a foothold in the new government and began to emerge.
This made him very happy, or some unexpected surprises.
As a follower of Savonarola, few people can gain the trust of the new government, many people have to leave their original positions and be placed in some insignificant places to work, if there is no change, their future destiny is doomed It will be so.
And more people have lost their jobs, they have to rely on the point where they are not ample to save their lives, and with the new currency that appears in Florence, although the situation seems to have improved a little, but the previous savings Under the impact of a new economic approach, some wealth is rapidly depreciating.
Machiavelli really felt lucky that he was grateful to Sazi. After all, the governor gave him new hope, so when Sazi appointed him as a diplomat to visit Florence, Machiavelli immediately took office.
Another reason for Machiavelli to go to Pisa so willingly is that he is still very curious about the changes in Pisa today.
Although it is less than 20 miles away, it is already a very difficult trip for people of this age, because of this Machiavelli decided to take a boat instead of traveling on land.
The influence of Pisa on Florence continues today, and may be different from the previous act that seemed too fierce, but watching the river has more cargo ships than before, Machiavelli can still feel that although there is no trace, it has penetrated into all aspects. Impact.
Florence is like a huge cake. Although it is barely supported in front of a pizza-cutter who wields a knife and fork wildly, it is like a poor woman who can't escape the ravages at all.
This idea is a little weird, but Machiavelli knows that there is nothing wrong with it.
It was during this time in the government that Machiavelli knew more about things that ordinary people did not know.
The economy of Florence has gone through the turmoil of the previous period and the inaction of the Savonarola era. It seems to have reached the brink of collapse, but it is strange that Florence has magically persisted. More people feel strange.
But Machiavelli knew that it was because of the intervention of Pisa, the Holy See, and perhaps others.
Alive is the free trade union.
Machiavelli knew about the alliance and worked at the Pisa Exchange for his livelihood, but although he was also very interested in the alliance, he had left Pisa without waiting for him to learn more.
It's just that the gold coins issued by the Holy See on the market made him a little worried. Although there are many Florentines who are as worried as him, but they only consider the appearance of such coins, which may make the Holy See's influence on Florence more. Coming deeper.
Machiavelli thought more, he smelled something different, but he would never tell his thoughts to anyone.
Machiavelli has his own secrets. He knew that if the Florentine knew his private dealings with the Pisa, or knew that he was working for the Earl of Montina, it was probably a prison disaster, but he was also There is really no way.
From time to time, write down the situation in Florence and send young Sabbatini out. Every time Machiavelli does this, he will be a little scared, and his conscience will be somewhat uneasy.
He knows that most of the things he writes are unimportant, and some even deal with diaries or ordinary letters as essays, so that even if someone suspects that the letters were intercepted, he will not see anything in it.
But some news is very important, so important that it may affect the future of Florence, or the countermeasures of those big people he did not know about.
For example, not long ago, he wrote the embarrassment of Florence in a seemingly careless tone. Among them, there was only a poor reserve of 40,000 florins in the Treasury of Florence. He was very cleverly revealed to Pisa someone.
This matter is not really a big secret, even a government official who pays a little attention can be inquired, and the Florence Parliament even turned upside down for this matter.
Machiavelli was one of these people. He even listened to the quarreling meeting, and he kept this matter in mind, and then wrote it in a letter to a friend of Pisa.
It didn't take long before the Holy See's currency began to increase circulation in Florence, which made Florence seem to be angry again overnight.
Many businessmen are beginning to be happy. They think that the most difficult days are over, and the market in Florence is slowly getting better.
And ordinary citizens finally relieved of the tight days. Even those who still secretly miss the life of the Savonarola in the piety and plain life, they have to admit that the days are better than before. .
Only Machiavelli knows that there are many unknown things behind this boom, and what this will bring to Florence, he still can't see clearly.
Machiavelli is a very utilitarian person. He knows that everything he is now comes from the Earl of Montina, so although there is no loyalty, he still wants to see the Earl succeed.
Another reason why he had great expectations for the Earl of Montina was that the Earl and Lucrezia had a daughter.
Of course Machiavelli would not think that a daughter would allow the Pope to treat Count Montina differently, but Alexander ’s decision to make his daughter an heir to Pisa made Machiavelli see more.
A granddaughter is unlikely to touch the heart of Alexander VI that is harder than marble, but a granddaughter who has the right to inherit Pisa is different.
If this granddaughter's territory could have a huge impact on Florence, the place where the pope had always been cherished, then this granddaughter's position in the mind of Alexander VI should be a little special.
In his utilitarian mind, Machiavelli always believed that this opportunity must be seized.
So when he heard that he was going to be sent to Florence, Machiavelli was extremely positive, even looking forward to it.
The Florentine who stood on the bow kept thinking about what happened during this time, both good and bad. His thoughts were very broad, and he sometimes jumped on different things, and then turned the original Combining several unrelated things.
The ship is not big, most places are filled with cargo.
Despite the turbulence in the market, fortunately, some merchants in the mainland are still willing to ship goods to Pisa from the Arno River through Florence, which at least makes the market in Florence not so bad to the point of depression.
A sound of horseshoes came from the right side of the river bank, and even on the boat, many people could hear the rumbling sound.
The people on the boat could not help looking up at the shore one after another. People in the turbulent times were always very sensitive. Although the war was more about killing each other by the lords and nobles, the example of ordinary people being innocent was still uncommon. When encountering some casual soldiers in the chaos or corrupt mercenaries, travelers often have to choose between life-saving and money-losing.
Fortunately, I was on a boat. Many people were so secretly glad at this time. At the same time, they showed sympathetic eyes to the people who were running around on the shore. At this time, no one laughed at others, because no one can guarantee that they will escape like this next time. Not yourself.
The team came very quickly, when they first appeared, they were still on a very long slope, and then they quickly came down from the to the shore.
The people immediately shouted loudly. Although they could not hear clearly for a while, they seemed to be asking the boat to dock.
Everyone's eyes turned to the owner, and the owner looked at Machiavelli.
In this boat, Machiavelli's identity is undoubtedly the highest, even the owner of the boat can't help but make the decision.
Machiavelli looked closely at the cavalry team on the shore. It was not too far from Pisa. At this time, a group of cavalry suddenly appeared, which made Machiavelli feel a little strange.
Those people are still yelling, and the sound seems louder.
Suddenly, Machiavelli shuddered imperceptibly, and he noticed a flag.
It was the red cross of the Genoese.
Genoa is fighting against Montina, which is now the most important priority in Tuscany and Romagna.
Suddenly seeing the Genoa flag, Machiavelli realized the danger without even thinking about it.
In other words, it is the imminent danger of Pisa.
These cavalry are obviously scouts, and if there is no wrong guess, there will be a large number of Genoese behind.
As far as Machiavelli knows, Lucrezia and the Earl, who is said to be called the Estelles, are now in Pisa!
A layer of sweat floated on the back of the Florentine. He was even felt cold by the wind.
"What should we do, municipal officer?" The owner asked impatiently.
"Dock."
Machiavelli's instinctive answer, he didn't know why, but there was a voice in his heart urging him to want to know the origin of these Genoese.
Although reluctant, the owner still greeted the guys to sail the boat towards the shore.
Because it was not a pier, the boat stopped a little further away from the shore, watching those Genoas who had jumped off their horses, splashing the cool water on them, and beckoning them to bring them closer, people Can't help but worry.
Although most of the time the military will not do anything terrible, but if you are unlucky, you may still encounter some brutal guys, especially some small stock mercenaries. Those people do n’t have to worry about getting a bad reputation after doing bad things. For them, as long as they change their face and attach themselves to those large mercenary chambers of commerce, there will still be people willing to hire them.
Therefore, the behavior of mercenary part-time robbers is not new in this era, and even this has become a kind of tacit agreement.
This is one of the reasons why Machiavelli hated the mercenary system. Even in his view, the large use of mercenaries is the root cause of the turbulence in a country.
But now the Florentine has no time to recall the great book he is brewing. When he walks with the restless people on the river bank, he notices that a cavalry is jumping on the horse and running back towards the slope.
Is this going to report to the team behind?
Machiavelli was fortunate that at least the things on the ship would not be looted, and then these people were brutally killed. At the same time, he couldn't help but want to know the origin and details of these Genoese.
The Genoese suddenly appeared near Pisa, making Machiavelli, who thought of Lucrecia's mother and son, immediately aware of the seriousness of the situation.
"It's all businessmen," a Genoese soldier indifferently said to his companions. "Hurry them all to the side. The general may use these ships."
The soldiers who heard this began to urge the people on the shore to gather aside. Although their movements were not rude, their attitudes were definitely not good. Some soldiers were slow because of the people in front of them. , Constantly urged.
Machiavelli was pushed from behind, and his feet slipped, but he did not fall.
But this action seemed to irritate him. He ignored the disappointment of his servants and turned to protest loudly against the Genoese who pushed him: "Respect me, I am an official from Florence, a diplomat sent by the Florence magistrate! "
Machiavelli's unexpected behavior caught the attention of the Genoese, and the leading soldier approached with surprise. He suspected that Machiavelli was looking at it, and then whispered to the soldier, and turned to leave.
"Hey you!"
Machiavelli suddenly shouted loudly to the leading soldier. He stepped forward to walk over, but the oncoming soldier held out a hand and held it against his chest.
"Genoa, who is your general who told him that Machiavelli in Florence is here, and I'm going to see him."
The Genoese soldier who led the team turned around again, his eyes fixed on Machiavelli's face for a while, and then said hello to the companion next to him.
"Bring him over, maybe this man is really a diplomat in Florence," he said, looking at Machiavelli who had been pushed to his face. "But if you are lying, I promise to hang you by hand."
Machiavelli ignored the soldier's threat, and he mounted a vacant mount behind the soldier. Under the leadership of the Genoese soldier, he drove up the toward an old river channel on the far side of the river bank.
Machiavelli was very anxious and confused. He couldn't tell himself why he insisted on taking risks to see the Genoese commander, but he still hoped to know the purpose of these Genoese as soon as possible.
Even for Florence, he must know what will happen.
The appearance of the Genoese army near Pisa not only surprised Machiavelli, but also touched the extreme uneasiness.
He certainly knew that Genoa was fighting Montina, and now that the Genoese have come to Pisa, what happened to the Count of Montina?
The thought of Alexander might be defeated, or may have encountered misfortune, Machiavelli felt that his throat was dry, he knew that he can now mix quite well in Florence and actually has an inseparable relationship with the count.
Machiavelli was anxious to know the situation of Genoa. Although he knew that it was a bit risky to do so, there was a voice in his heart that urged him to do so.
Machiavelli knew it was not because of conscience, but pure utilitarianism.
If Alexander is defeated or even unpredictable, it is a huge suspense whether his daughter can successfully inherit Pizza, and some people may even question the origin of Estres.
But even so, as long as Estrez is the daughter of Lucrezia, the granddaughter of Alexander VI, then her future is destined not to be mediocre.
And with Alexander VI ’s near-known greed, he could not give up a good opportunity to take pizza as his own.
So what if Count Montina had no accidents? What will happen?
Just thinking about what I have heard about Alexander ’s love of Lucrezia and his daughter, Machiavelli feels that taking this risk is definitely worth it, and it will pay off enough.
They did not go far, and after walking along the concave formed by the old river channel for about 1 mile, Machiavelli saw an army.
It was indeed a Genoese, he quickly recognized the Genoese logo from the striking white cross flag, and he also saw a lot of half-height wooden shields that were raised in the middle of the back, and the shield looked over the shield. The heavy steel crossbow's shoulder soldier, this is the unique dress of the Genoa crossbowman.
Machiavelli secretly told himself to be calm ~ EbookFREE.me ~ He is a Florentine and a diplomat, and Genoese will not treat him like that.
The soldier walked all the way to find out where the general was, but this made Machiavelli hear that the Genoese army seemed to have just arrived, and from the soldiers' helplessness when he answered, he guessed that these people should have made a long journey. After that, I just arrived here.
Perhaps there is still a chance. Machiavelli secretly told himself that he did not actually know what to do, but guessed that the Genoese had just arrived here, which gave him a glimmer of hope.
The figures of several officers in the distance caught Machiavelli's attention. He knew that there should be Genoese generals among them.
Sure enough, the soldier took him to the officers.
When they were very close, Machiavelli heard that a Genoese general standing in the middle was giving orders to others.
"Although I know the soldiers are tired, the delay will only hurt us, so I have decided to take down the pizza before dark today!"