The Rise of the European Emperor

After resolving the matters related to Laayoune, Marin sailed north. While passing through Spain, Malin made a stop at the port of Cadiz in southern Spain. Of course, it was a 250-class armed merchant ship, and there was no scary 500-ton warship to port.

Marin went to Toledo, where he met Ferdinand II and Isabella I, and thanked them for allowing their troops to dock in the Canary Islands. Of course, Marin also made a request, asking the two kings to allow themselves to send a ship to Las Palmas to purchase supplies.

After all, Laayoune is just a nomadic settlement in the desert. Here, there are only camels, sheep and horses that the Berbers graze. The life of the garrison would be difficult if it was supported by local supplies alone. And if you rely on the delivery of supplies from East Frisian mainland, it is not safe. If there is a delay, there may be an accident.

So, Marin simply arranged two ships here, responsible for purchasing supplies to Las Palmas to meet the needs of the garrison.

In this regard, the two kings have no objection. Anyway, this does not harm their interests. It's just that Ferdinand II has an expression of "I have seen through you" and hints that Marin-I think you want to raise Merino sheep...

Marim wished he misunderstood, so he pretended to be embarrassed to satisfy Ferdinand II's bad taste...

After that, Marin went to visit Prince Juan, who had a good relationship with him, and brought a generous gift. Prince Juan warmly entertained Marin and had a drink with Marin.

At the banquet, Prince Juan and Marin told an interesting recent incident...

It turned out that a former member of the Byzantine royal family named Manuel Pariologos came to Spain, claiming that his brother, the Byzantine Emperor in Exile, Andres Pariologos, wanted to The throne and territorial rights of the Eastern Roman Empire were sold to the twin kings of Spain.

But in fact, Andres Pariologos was just an exiled emperor who had nothing and lived in the city of Rome.

In other words, Andres Pariologos, the Eastern Roman Emperor recognized by Western Europeans, actually only has an empty title and no real rights. Now, it is even more miserable. As a last resort, I wanted to sell the non-existent throne and country to the two kings of Spain with strong financial resources, in exchange for a pension and a comfortable life.

Of course, it is said that the Eastern Roman Emperor Andres Pariologos is now penniless and seriously ill, lying in bed with no money for medical treatment. Therefore, in desperation, he sent his younger brother, Manuel, to Spain to sell his throne.

Before that, in about 1494, Andres Pariologos sold the crown of the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire that he had kept to Charles VIII of France for a large sum of money.

However, that money was cheated by Pope Alexander VI...

Alexander VI coaxed him to raise funds to hire an army to help him restore his country. So, Andres Pariologos foolishly offered most of the property... In fact, the money for selling the crown was all hacked by Pope Alexander VI. Therefore, the exiled members of the royal family of the Eastern Roman Empire were more embarrassed. The dignified last emperor, Andres Pariologos, had no money for medical treatment and was lying in bed waiting to die...

At this time, Andres Pariologos finally saw the greedy nature of Alexander VI. Therefore, he no longer seeks help from the greedy pope, but intends to sell his throne and territorial rights to the Spanish double kings in exchange for money for medical treatment and funds to support the whole family.

It is a pity that the two kings of Spain are not sincere either. The two kings of Spain are cunning people, and they are all masters who do not see the rabbit but not the eagle. How could they be willing to pay for a non-existent throne and territorial power? If the crown was still there, the double king might buy it to play with it. But,

Now Andres Pariologos is so poor that only that title is left, and there is nothing else left.

Therefore, the Spanish kings are not willing to take care of Andres Pariologos' younger brother, Manuel...

Listening and listening, Marin's eyes lit up...

Of course, it is not that Marin is willing to buy the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire. Even if he has the money to buy it, he has no life to enjoy the throne. After all, the throne is too sensitive. If he dared to call himself emperor, he would be beaten up by the princes of Germany immediately, and he would be robbed of his qualifications for the throne by the way...

Not to mention those princes, even Maximilian I, who has always supported him, will probably turn his back on himself—what, you are also an emperor? Want to be on an equal footing with me?

Therefore, Marin absolutely cannot buy the throne by himself. However, the memory that Marin retrieved from the depths of his memory shows that after the death of Andres Pariologos, his brother-in-law, Ivan III, the Grand Duke of Moscow, announced that his son Vasily was due to the possession of the Eastern Roman royal family Parr. The blood of the Riologos family will inherit the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire. That is, from then on, the Grand Duke of Moscow was renamed the Tsar. Even, in 1514, Basil III and Maximilian I wrote letters to each other, acknowledging the identity of each other's emperors. Basil III was the Emperor of the East, and Maximilian I was the Emperor of the West...

Marin didn't care whether Maximilian I was the emperor of Western Rome, but Marin refused to let Maozi become the emperor of Eastern Rome...

You must know that the Grand Duchy of Moscow was stimulated and worked hard to become the hegemon of Eastern Europe because of this position. Without this status, they are just a Grand Duchy, no different from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In ancient times, status was also very important.

Marin decided to intervene in this matter. He knew that in the original history, the transaction between Andres Palio Logos and the Spanish double king failed, and he did not get a penny. So, in the end Andres Pariologos died in poverty.

Marin decided to support him with a sum of money. Then, persuade Andres Pariologos to sell the throne to Maximilian I.

If Andres Pariologos sold the throne to Maximilian I, then Maximilian I would gather the thrones of the two Romans and become the true emperor of Europe.

Of course, Maximilian I hasn't actually been crowned in Rome yet. Therefore, from a legal point of view, he is not yet the emperor, but the king of Germany.

Marin felt that the emperor would be happy if he was given the throne. Moreover, once Andres Pariologos sold the Eastern Roman throne to Maximilian I, then the two Roman empires of the East and the West achieved the de jure unity, and Maximilian I would also become the real value. The only emperor of Europe.

Of course, this is only legal. Practically speaking, it's useless. No matter how jurisprudential Maximilian I was, it would not change the fact that he only had two territories in Austria and Burgundy...

Moreover, it will also draw hatred for Maximilian I. Whose hatred? Of course the hatred of Ottoman Turkey...

After occupying Constantinople, the sultan of Ottoman Turkey claimed to be the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. You, Maximilian I, also claimed to be the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Didn't you stand up to the hatred of the Ottoman sultans?

Therefore, if Maximilian I accepted the throne, he would also be hostile to the Ottoman Turkey. In the future, if he wants to unify Germany, he will inevitably be interfered by the Ottoman Turkey...

However, the desire for the throne was the obsession of Maximilian I. The Habsburg family has never been afraid to attract hatred, just that they are not enough to hold or ridicule enough...

Therefore, Marin recommended Andres Pariologos to sell the throne to Maximilian I, which would be a win-win situation. Maybe, the poor Andres Pariologos will also be rewarded with a fief of Maximilian I. Maximilian I was a heroic and talented king. He was not as fussy as the Spanish kings, and he was more generous in his work...

So, after leaving Prince Juan's residence, Marin secretly visited Manuel Pariologos at night...