"Are you sure now is the best time?" On the way to meet the king, Agape asked softly and uneasily. He was walking next to the bishop, only one position behind him, "Is this possible? Too eye-catching?"
Juan Fonseca was wearing the majestic attire that only a bishop could possess, with a cloud of attendants behind him. Everyone was silent in silence, for no other reason. After a long inspection and patrol, Sei The real owner of Palazzo Velia has finally returned to his place. The palace was more solemn and quiet when the king was present than when he was absent.
"Don't question my decision, young man." The bishop snorted disapprovingly, "Am I going to push you into the fire pit again? It has been more than a year since you came to the Palace of Seville. I will not say that you have already You have established a foothold here... You are just a babbling baby, and you still have a lot to learn. But I have to admit that you have done a good job, considering that you are the first to let Lilac live in the greenhouse. After eight months, what reason does the king have for not wanting to see you?"
He paused and whispered: "What's more, the Moluccas have suffered heavy losses and have been troubled by the black crow. They have great magical powers. The tentacles are out of action now. It's too late to put pressure on Portugal, and there's no spare time to take care of you. Now is not the best time, when else?" Before
Agape could speak, the bishop warned again. : "I know that you are a little country bumpkin to begin with, but don't forget your etiquette, let alone your usual cleverness... Your Majesty, like me, appreciates pragmatic people." "Oh
. "Agape said honestly.
The luxurious and heavy palace doors were opened one by one. Every time they were opened, a servant would stand by the door and loudly announce the arrival of Bishop Burgos. When he stood in front of the king's study, Agape's heartbeat was so nervous that it accelerated. .
The bishop was the first to enter the king's private office. Apart from numerous guards and servants, there was only Charles I inside, and his prime minister and parliament were nowhere to be seen.
"Hail," said the bishop, "the glory of God, King of Castile and Aragon, owner of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia." "Ah,
here you are, my venerable Bishop." Charles I began to speak, with a gentle voice and a strict tone. "Although I am far away from the Palace of Seville, news about you still reaches my ears in a steady stream. Regarding your resolution, you The surprise prepared for me..."
He glanced at Agape next to him, "and the young man next to you."
Agape, who had been lowering his head, was stunned for a moment, not knowing whether he should salute now or not. Why, in desperation, he quickly bowed to the king, and because he didn't think about what to say, he remained silent for the time being.
"He!" the bishop said loudly, "a child from the country who knows nothing about the world and has never seen much of the world. However, he is very talented in gardening. His teacher first gave him a very good recommendation I made up my mind to meet him. But after this meeting, I was indeed not disappointed, let alone His Majesty." "
I don't remember that I have anything to let this young man down. ," Charles I said with a smile, "I just heard you say that he also has a teacher?"
"It's an old priest who served His Excellency Farnese." Bishop Juan said concisely, "Of course your Majesty knows him. The owner of the house may not know him."
"Oh, yes, yes," said Charles I thoughtfully, "Cardinal Farnes... Hey, young man, raise your head and look at me Come on! It is well-known news that although I am ugly, I do not eat people!"
Agape then raised his eyes. He stared at the face of Charles I and couldn't help being surprised by the king's self-mockery.
As the king himself said, although he was the son of the "beautiful man" Philip of Austria and the "mad girl" Juana of Castile, he did not inherit any of the characteristics of his beautiful parents. On the contrary, he was not only ugly in appearance. , and a large chin that marked his deep-rooted Habsburg ancestry. However, due to appearance considerations, royal painters often paint him to be more ugly than he actually is. In this way, people who see him for the first time will be surprised and feel that the rumors are too exaggerated.
Charles I did not like luxury and dressed simply, although his territory was larger than any other European ruler. He was, as the bishop had just said, "King of Castile and Aragon, owner of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia." His only hobby is music. Before the meeting, Juan wanted to cultivate Agape's musical literacy so that he could suit his interests. Unfortunately, Agape had no talent in this area, so he had to give up in frustration. This plan.
"You are not that ugly," Agape said truthfully, "Not all men and women in the world are handsome." "
Oh! You are a good Paris." Seeing his face, the king He said enthusiastically, "Since you said that my appearance is 'not that ugly', then I have to ask you to tell me carefully, what is my appearance like?" As soon as
he raised this question, which was tantamount to teasing and making things difficult, the bishop's His expression immediately became the opposite of "not that ugly".
Agape didn't understand what happened. He thought for a while and said calmly: "Please forgive me, I used unpleasant memories to answer your question, Your Majesty. I was born in a small fishing village, and my parents are both fishermen." , I lived a very hard life as a child. There, I saw how the poor lived. Because of hunger, cold, epidemics, and unclean food, many babies were born with defects, and adults were inevitably exposed to moisture and joint pain. There are also diseases caused by years of toil. Due to poverty and fate, no one can afford a doctor.
"I am not saying this to make you sympathize with me or pity me. I just want to say that you are indeed a lucky man. Having flawless facial features and skin is already a blessing from heaven; and a strong body is a precious asset that cannot be measured in value. Maybe beautiful appearance can make people yearn for, but if there is no matching moral character and soul, I will not think that such a person is worth dating. If I had to choose, it would be health! Nothing in the world is more important than health. "
After hearing these words, the bishop raised his eyebrows high, and then habitually lowered the corners of his mouth, showing a critical expression of "The answer is not bad, it can't be called good if it's not too bad." Charles I was surprised. Looking at him. After a long while, the king said: "You are indeed a lovable young man. Now I can see your magic power!" Yes, you are right. In this world, beautiful appearance is just the icing on the cake. What is more important is personal cultivation and a healthy body. Apart from that, everything else is insignificant. It's really eye-opening that you can have such insights at such a young age. "
Come," said the king, taking up his stick, "let us go and see your cloves and your pepper." I've been too busy these past few days and haven't had time to visit your results. "
Walking into the greenhouse, Agape took Charles I to see his lilac trees and pepper vines. After transplanting, eight of the seventeen lilac seedlings rarely survived. At this time, they were lush and full of vitality. A vigorous scene.
"Here are the cloves, and here are the peppers," Agape pointed to the king. "After the cloves are successfully transplanted, it takes less energy than before, while the pepper seedlings will soon have to be tied up. , is the time when people need to take good care of them. "
The king looked at it carefully and asked many questions about planting. Agape tried his best to explain it to him in an easy-to-understand way. While they were talking, the bishop was waiting quietly aside, even though he He is satisfied with Agape's performance but will not show it openly.
“Your spices look and sound healthy, beautiful, and have a bright future,” said Charles I. “So, will this be the prototype of Spain’s valuable spice plantations? Or, Will this be my charge flag to the Molucca?"
The latter question was addressed to the bishop.
Juan Fonseca was calm and composed. He said: "You are not still waiting for a reply from the lioness, are you? In fact, your latest engagement request was sent to the princess of England, but it is obvious that , your marriage to the princess is inappropriate, and your marriage to Ms. Jane Scott is - please forgive me for being blunt - extremely dishonorable." "
The Moluccas are as rich as any country, not "Using the word "extremely rich" is to belittle the Moluccas." Charles I said, "The defected Scott brought Portugal a fortune of no less than two million florins, as well as an incomparable item. Precious holy relics... These are the legacy of the former Gerald Scott, dear Bishop. Just imagine if Spain got this money..." I
heard the words "Black Crow" and "Gerald Scott" one after another. At Kurt's name, Agape's heartbeat immediately jumped. His face was pale and his lips were pursed.
"Let us not say depressing words, Your Majesty. Jealousy can only do harm to anyone, but does no good." The bishop calmly changed the topic, "Yes! Lucky Manuel got a lot of money in one go. Wealth, but your country has spice cultivation technology that can be passed down. How can this not be an inexhaustible treasure? The more time passes, the more I can feel that Lucca's monopoly cannot last. Sooner or later there will be rebels, and sooner or later there will be people with superb skills who are willing to work tirelessly for the sake of their hobby and break their secrets of growing spices. Let Portugal get their rebels! And we , we can have that researcher."
A smile couldn't help but appear on Charles I's face.
"Always strong and stubborn Bishop Burgos!" he said, "you really have a back like steel."
Then he turned to Agape, extended his hand to him kindly, and asked: "Well, likeable young man , if I entrust the future of the plantation to your hands, will you be qualified for this difficult responsibility? Or are you going to betray my friendship and the trust of a king?" Agape was surprised
. At this critical moment, he suddenly remembered the old priest's words and the prophecy he had sworn to make.
——"The best and most foreseeable result is that he introduces you to Charles I. By then, you will have the friendship of a king." Now that
this has really happened, he can't help but feel a supernatural feeling. The dizziness was like a wonderful divine revelation coming to him from a distance across the distance of time and space.
"No! Of course not," he hurriedly held the king's hand, "I will not betray such friendship and your precious trust." The king laughed, let go of
his hand, and turned to the bishop: "However, this The matter still needs to be approved by the Castilian Parliament. Today I just made a private visit. At this time tomorrow, the Parliament will be here to provide their opinions." "As long as you have your support,
I believe this matter will be done. It can succeed." The bishop said, "But taking this opportunity, I still want to say that since you mentioned Portugal's windfall, the huge amount of gold, then I would like to sincerely suggest you again to consider Portugal's noble Yi. Princess Sabella, your dear cousin. Your union with her is not only legal, but also glorious, and her dowry is another point worthy of your deep thinking." Charles I was silent for a moment and nodded.
head.
"I will consider your proposal. Now, let's have something to eat with this young man! Look at how thin he is. If someone with good intentions sees it, they will definitely say that Spain has treated its distinguished guests badly."