Chapter 1573: Defection and whistleblowing
Why can Marin be sure that Spain never wants France to get enough volcanic ash? This is determined by the geographical environment of the two countries. The area of Spain is not smaller than that of France, but it is useless. Most of it is mountainous. Although many areas were opened up as farmland in later generations, it was not possible in this era. Because, irrigation technology is not enough.
In this era, Europeans will only reclaim farmland in the areas along the rivers. They do not know how to dig irrigation rivers to irrigate, nor have they established techniques for storing water in reservoirs and pumping water to high places. In Italy, because of its close contact with the Arab region, it has initially mastered the technique of digging irrigation ditches. But building a reservoir and pumping water to a high place is unlikely.
Therefore, the rugged terrain of Spain, even if it has enough ash, is of little use. After all, the rugged geographic environment is there, and you can only put merino sheep or something.
But France is different. Although this country is about the same size as Spain (at this time, France has not obtained Corsica, Alsace and Lorraine, and the Nice area of Italy), it ca n’t stand the French plain! Except for a central plateau, France is basically a plain. Most of the famous Great Western Europe Plains are in France.
Moreover, France has no shortage of water resources and rivers. In this era of agriculture, plains and rivers are everything. Therefore, France, which is extremely suitable for agriculture, has become the largest population country in Europe.
The Spaniards are not stupid. They know that France ’s advantage is agriculture. If France, an agricultural power, has enough volcanic ash, would n’t it be heaven?
Therefore, as long as the Spaniards know this secret, even if they lose their families, they will not give up the Kingdom of Naples to France. What's more, after monopolizing the spice trade, Spain's most indispensable is money, and has the confidence to fight hard with France.
On the contrary, the French knew how powerful they would be if they had enough ash. Therefore, the battle between the two sides will no longer be a rule-based war of hegemony, but will evolve into a fierce battle between life and death, and neither side will be willing to retreat.
...
Five days later, on the border between France and the Aragon kingdom, a **** knight rushed into the Aragon kingdom from the Mediterranean coastal plain at the border between the France and the Aragon kingdom, and was soon captured by the Aragon border army.
This Frenchman who gave to Alain was a general tax officer in Montpellier, capital of Roussillon. However, just the day before yesterday, his wife Jeanna and Montpellier's Justice Edu hooked up. Then, the angry tax officer drew his sword and killed the judge whom Earl Roussillon trusted ...
Of course, this is a side word of this Montpellier tax official called Alan. The actual situation is-he was sent from Paris to a North Sea Chamber of Commerce agent in southern France five years ago, and his so-called wife Jeana was actually a Congliang female branch from Paris bought by the North Sea Chamber of Commerce. The female is used to cover Alan. Of course, he is not called Alan, but Armand. Since it is a spy, its identity and name are naturally fake.
5 years ago, he was ordered to bring Jeanne, a well-serving Parisian daughter, to Montpellier, relying on her ability to write accounts, and bribing the local nobility, getting a duty from the tax officer. It is 5 years.
Three days ago, he received an order instructing him to assign his "wife" to let Na go to hook up with a local senior official, then kill it, and then deliberately defected to Aragon ...
So, Alan Jean, who pretended to be his wife, Jeana, deliberately seduce the local judge Renault, who lived near their house-this is the favorite of Count Roussillon.
Subsequently, Alan deliberately broke through, and then, under the witness of outsiders, there was a quarrel, and then he did not hesitate to draw a knife to kill Judge Renault and Jeanna who pretended to be his wife ...
After killing people, Alan didn't even change his blood coat. He jumped on the horses that had been prepared for a long time, and he drove towards the border area southwest ...
After Montpellier's City Guard responded, Alan ran away. Moreover, because the main force of the country is basically transferred to Italy, the force of the Roussillon area is also empty. The only little soldiers and horses are also used to guard the city, and they dare not send out to chase Alan at will. In this way, Alan ran for two days, came to the Aragon border, and was deliberately captured by the Aragon border guards ...
Later, Alan deliberately complained in French about the tragic fate of the Aragonese border guards. Fortunately, the Spanish officers on the border knew French, and he heard the nagging.
This is not enough. After complaining about his "tragic encounter", Alan suddenly and surprisingly proposed that he wanted to report an extremely alarming secret to King Ferdinand II of Aragon. This secret is said to have been overheard by Judge Reynolds when Alan followed his wife and the Judge Reynolds of the Earl of Roussillon. And this confidential content is the reason why King Louis XII of France provoked the Naples war in desperation ...
Hearing this statement, the Aragon Frontier Army suddenly dared not make a claim and hurriedly reported it.
Ferdinand II was doubtful, and was very puzzled by the defecting French tax officer who wanted to see himself.
"Wouldn't it be an intention to find an excuse to approach me, and then assassinate me ..."
Unreliable Ferdinand II quickly sent a spy to Montpellier to find out the news. As a result, the news found was similar to that of the tax official named Alan. And now, Count Roussillon is desperately wanting this person ...
In the end, Ferdinand II couldn't help but curiosity and decided to meet the defected French tax officer. However, he requested that the tax officer must lock his hands when meeting him to avoid his ability to assassinate himself.
Then, Alan was sent to the palace of Zaragoza, where he met Ferdinand II, who had just recovered, and King Juan III, the Castile king who took care of his father here.
"Speak, little tax officer, what secret do you want to tell me?" Ferdinand II asked impatiently in French. His current wife is a French noblewoman, a niece of Louis XII, and naturally understands French.
Alan looked at the maids. Ferdinand II waved his hands and retreated the maids, but left two trusted guards in case Alan was in trouble.
At this time, Alan suddenly asked:
"If I tell His Majesty this secret, what can I get?"
Ferdinand II frowned:
"Do you think you are qualified to bargain with me?"
Alan shook his head:
"I am not qualified ~ www.wuxiaspot.com ~ But the secret I am talking about is related to the survival of Spain. Do you think it is valuable?"
Ferdinand II sneered:
"Less here to make a fuss, if you prove that you are lying, you will be hanged, little tax officer!"
As a professional spy, would Alan be bluffed, he said calmly;
"How dare I lie? My whole person is now under the control of His Majesty. Isn't lying lying to death? Without full assurance, how dare you talk nonsense?"
Ferdinand II looked at the other person's look, instead of lying, so he said seriously:
"If it proves that this secret is indeed related to the life and death of Spain, I will not only protect your safety, but also confine you as a knight and give you a manor!"
"Deal!" Alan pretended to be very excited. Then he began to tell the secret he "heard by chance" ...
...
