King of Mercenaries

Chapter 87: Poor Columbus

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After the Pope's decree was issued, there was an uproar throughout Europe. People suddenly discovered that visiting a kiln is a terrible thing that will kill people. As a result, all the shoppers suddenly disappeared.

Before the Reformation, the authority of the Pope was unmatched. Therefore, the papal bull is very effective. What's more, the pope's decree this time is not about raising taxes or anything, it's about saving everyone's lives. Therefore, people are still willing to implement.

However, this is a pain for those women who sell their bodies. Because this decree cut off their money and livelihood. Of course, who is in the mood to care about the lives of these women

They gritted their teeth with hatred for the Pope, but there was nothing they could do. Who made them just a group of weak women, they have nothing but their bodies...

Unlucky with these women, and our great navigator, Mr. Columbus...

Because, the Pope's decree stated that the syphilis was brought back from the "Wild Continent" by his crew. In fact, Columbus also knew that syphilis was indeed brought back by one of his Sicilian sailors. At the same time, during the voyage, some of his men died on the way due to syphilis.

Originally, Columbus, who returned in June, was still a great hero in the eyes of the Spaniards. However, after the release of the Pope's decree, Columbus's reputation suddenly became rotten...

Bringing back the terrible syphilis made everyone panic, and many people began to hate Columbus, the "culprit". Although it was not Columbus himself who brought back syphilis, Columbus had to bear the crimes committed by his subordinates...

So, Columbus, who was a hero some time ago, instantly became a bear that everyone shouted and beat...

Walking on the street, people pointed at Columbus one after another:

"Look! It's the disaster star who brought back the barbarian's disease from the barbaric continent. He wants to destroy Europa!"

"Damn, this bastard, everyone throw him!" Then a pile of rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves (there were no tomatoes in Europe at this time) were thrown at the former hero Columbus.

Even Columbus's sponsors, Queen Isabella I and her husband, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, began to discuss whether to continue sponsoring Columbus' voyages.

"Honey, do you still want to continue sponsoring Columbus's voyage? I didn't see him bring back wealth, but he brought back terrible syphilis!" Ferdinand II was a little angry. At the beginning, he didn't quite agree with Isabella I sponsoring Columbus's voyage, and it was Isabella I who persuaded him.

"But, didn't he discover India? We can have colonies now." Queen Isabella I is still very interested in overseas expansion, and she is an ambitious woman.

"But, that's not India at all. The Pope said it was a wild continent!" Ferdinand II retorted.

"How do you know that's not India?" Isabella I asked back.

"If it's India, what about spices? What about gold? Columbus only saw a group of barbaric, naked natives. But the real India is a developed and prosperous country!"

Queen Isabella I was silent...

"Then what do you say?" Isabella I asked.

"Cancel the follow-up exploration plan, let's do it for now. Occupying a wild continent is useless!" Ferdinand II complained.

"No, dear, there is a purpose for occupying the islands discovered so far!"

"What is it?" Ferdinand II asked.

"Grow sugar cane!"

"Sugar cane? You mean get sugar?"

"Yes, those islands are very hot and suitable for growing sugar cane. We can open up sugar cane plantations and sugar mills on the islands, and after we get the sugar, we can bring it back to Europe and sell it!" King Isabella I said confidently.

"Good... good idea! However, those islands are too hot, and it is difficult for Europeans to live on those islands for a long time, and they are not used to working in tropical areas..." Ferdinand II said hesitantly.

"It's okay, we can ask Portugal to buy black slaves to work!" Obviously, Isabella I had already planned.

"It makes sense... So, what should Columbus do?"

"Are you sure Columbus brought back syphilis?"

"I am sure that His Majesty the Pope sent people to Sicily to investigate, and it was indeed brought back by Columbus's crew."

"Then the place Columbus discovered wasn't India?"

"I heard from friends in Italy that there are two types of Indians, one is white like Arabs, and the other is black. Columbus discovered a brownish-yellow race, which looks like Chinese people in the Far East. However, they are too It's backward and barbaric. It is said that China is more prosperous than Europe. Moreover, "Marco Polo's Travels" also illustrates this point."

"Then we were lied to?"

"It should be... But isn't it possible to grow sugar cane?"

"I didn't sail to plant sugar cane, but to find India!" Isabella I broke out.

The queen didn't really care about the introduction of syphilis. Anyway, as a woman, she wouldn't go shopping in brothels. However, after spending so much money, what was discovered was not India, which made the queen angry.

"Will you still sail after that?" Ferdinand II asked after seeing his erupting wife.

"Hai Hai, you hammer! Come, pass on my order, remove Columbus from the position of governor, and confiscate the official residence and property I bestowed on him!" The queen who failed to achieve her goal completely turned her face...

"My dear, please calm down. Without Columbus, who will lead the voyage to the Indies after that? Aren't you going to send someone to plant sugar cane?"

"My mother is very calm. Except for Columbus, many people in the previous expedition team were ours. Just send any captain to continue sailing to discover the islands. Because the nautical charts and hydrographic surveying data have long been recorded." Isa Although Bella I was angry, he was not stupid.

"Then why did you relieve Columbus?"

"Are you stupid? Did you forget the agreement reached between Columbus and us before? He wants the position of fleet commander and 10% return of spoils of war. Besides, he is still from the Indian Islands... Ah bah, it should be from the Wild Islands What about the governor. If I withdraw him, I will save 10% of the spoils and the position of the governor..." In fact, Isabella I later withdrew Columbus in 1500 to save a lot of spoils. In other words, the queen has a dark belly. Of course, in the original history, the queen did not confiscate all of Columbus' property. After all, Columbus has made a lot of contributions, and it is not easy to do too much. Today, Columbus was proved to have brought back syphilis, and the crime was not small. The queen was so angry that she even confiscated Columbus's house and property.

"Madam's advice! Madam is mighty!" Ferdinand II immediately flattered his black-bellied daughter-in-law. Speaking of which, he, the king of Aragon, is not as powerful as his wife, Queen Isabella. Because the Kingdom of Castile is stronger than the Kingdom of Aragon.

In this way, Columbus, who was a Spanish hero and a Spanish nobleman before, was driven out of his luxurious mansion by Queen Isabella in the blink of an eye, and became a tramp.

Fortunately, Columbus deposited a sum of money in a bank in Genoa, which Queen Isabella did not know. With this money, Columbus would not be too poor. However, this deposit is not much, because Columbus did not expect that his house would be ransacked by the Queen. Therefore, this money is only enough for Columbus to barely support the elderly, and if he wants to live an aristocratic life again, then don't even think about it.

However, as soon as he left the mansion, Columbus was surrounded by a group of girls with heavy makeup...

It turned out that this was a group of kiln sisters who had lost their business because of the Pope's decree. Now, their life is difficult, and it is inevitable that they feel resentment. However, they did not dare to resent the Pope, let alone take revenge on the Pope. So they hated Columbus who brought back syphilis...

Before, when Columbus was still an aristocrat, they didn't dare to do anything. Today, Columbus was abolished the title of nobility by the queen and was driven out of the mansion. Then, a group of unemployed kiln sisters who received the news surrounded Columbus on the street...

Then, someone yelled "sisters, scratch him!" Then, a group of kiln sisters started beating Columbus by scratching and scratching...