1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 188 Navigator's Funeral
Batalha Monastery, Belém Province, Portugal and the Algarve.

This majestic Gothic monastery was built in 1385 by John I, the then King of Portugal and founder of the House of Aviz, to commemorate the Battle of Aljuba that took place in the same year.

In that year, the Portuguese people united as one and defeated the invading Castilians, and Portugal's national independence was further consolidated.

In the same year, John I established the Aves Dynasty, vigorously introduced advanced technology, encouraged scientific innovation and cultural creation, and gradually established the diplomatic strategy of allying with Britain to fight against Qatar and the expansion policy of overseas exploration.

In 1386, the Treaty of Windsor was signed between Britain and Portugal, and the permanent alliance between Britain and Portugal was formally established. In the following years, Britain and Portugal experienced many changes of dynasties and regimes, but the alliance relationship has never been severed and has remained strong over time.

After resolving the threats on land, the Kingdom of Portugal, which emerged as a rising star in the Reconquista, began to turn its attention to the vast ocean, using its own advantages to become the first European country to develop ocean navigation.

Against this background, outstanding talents continued to emerge within the Kingdom of Portugal, and the royal family members maintained a fairly high quality. John I's children were all talented and widely praised on the European continent, and were called the "prominent generation."

Prince Henry is one of the best among them.

Although this prince who was committed to overseas exploration was devout in his faith, he was not pedantic. He attached great importance to the cultivation of talents and the research and development of science and technology. He widely used advanced technology from the far East in the navigation industry. Under his promotion, navigation instruments such as the compass, quadrant, and horizontal marker were continuously improved, and disciplines such as astronomy, mathematics, and wind direction also flourished.

In 1440, with the sponsorship of Prince Henry, the first caravel designed for Atlantic navigation was launched at the Lisbon shipyard, eliminating the last technological barrier to European exploration of the ocean.

In the following decades, the sailing fleet supported by Prince Henry discovered the Azores and Madeira Islands, crossed Cape Bojador, and found the "Green Land" mentioned by North African Muslims.

They established a number of trading ports along the coast of West Africa, used deceptive transactions to obtain gold, ivory and slaves from the natives, and established sugarcane plantations in the Portuguese Azores and Portuguese Madeira, initially breaking the Venetian sugar monopoly established through the sugarcane plantations on Crete and obtaining a large amount of funds.

Since then, this small country located in a corner of the Iberian Peninsula has embarked on the road of ocean exploration. Although successive kings would temporarily shelve their exploration plans according to changes in actual conditions, their overall policy has always remained the same.

When Prince Henry was born, Portugal was just a small Western European country that had just gained national independence from the Reconquista. It was a weak and poor country with only a million people and a few thousand soldiers.

When Prince Henry died, Portugal had become a new and prosperous country with a powerful fleet, a well-developed shipbuilding base and a complete talent training system. It emerged as a rising star in the mid-fifteenth century when the Christian world was generally in a downturn.

In 1460, the great hero Don Enrique Aviz died suddenly. He never married and had no children. He dedicated everything he had to God and his country.

In fact, more than ten years ago, due to internal struggles in Portugal, the navigation faction headed by Regent Pedro suffered a severe blow from the traditional land nobles. After Regent Pedro was defeated and killed, Prince Henry was also suspected. The new King Alfonso V tried his best to stop this famous uncle from continuing to lead the expedition, fearing that he would pose a threat to his ruling position.

Prince Henry's last dozen years were rich and comfortable, but also painful and tormenting. For a man with truly lofty ambitions, being pushed to the political margins was tantamount to exile in disguise.

After his death, the merchants who had benefited from him, his former political enemies and the unrelated nobles from various European countries all lamented over his death. Alfonso V abandoned the conquest of North Africa and, in accordance with his uncle's will, held a grand but simple funeral for him at the Batalha Monastery, which symbolizes the Portuguese spirit.

The funeral was very grand, with a constant stream of visiting guests. Almost all European nobles sent their envoys to witness the ascension of a brave soul.

Compared to the Castilian royal wedding held in previous years, Prince Henry's funeral far exceeded it in both scale and number of visitors, because the lower-class people whose destinies were changed by him and the Moors who were elevated by him spontaneously held parades in major cities. People did not do so out of interests, but out of their true hearts.

The people have sharp eyes. True greatness does not need any flowery words or lavish hospitality to embellish it.

In the open space next to the tomb in the Batalha Monastery, Justinian, dressed in dark clothes, stood beside his mother.

The burial farewell ceremony and the prayer ceremony have ended. The archbishop is pouring holy water on the tomb and muttering something. Messengers from the Vatican are standing on both sides holding incense burners and holy water bottles.

Among the funeral procession, Prince Henry's relatives stood at the front, led by none other than Alfonso V, the then King of Portugal and the United Kingdom of the Algarves.

Behind Alfonso V stand his two children, Infanta Joana and Prince João.

Alfonso V's wife, Isabella of Coimbra, daughter of Regent Pedro, died six years ago. The couple had a harmonious relationship and gave birth to three children. Except for the eldest son Zao, the eldest daughter Joana and the second son João all grew up healthy.

Crown Prince João followed closely behind his father. Compared to his sister who was crying, the six-year-old boy showed more seriousness than other children of his age and watched everything that was happening quietly.

If nothing unexpected happens, this child will be the second king of the Portuguese Avis dynasty named João, carrying the expectations of his family and the people.

Behind Alfonso's family stood Prince Henry's other close relatives, including the Eastern Roman Queen Leonor, Queen Joana of Castile, Duke Fernando of Viseu and Princess Caterina of Portugal who lived in seclusion in a monastery.

Further away stood the distant relatives of the Portuguese royal family, including the House of Lancaster from England, the House of Valois from Burgundy and the House of Trastamara from Aragon, and behind them were the envoys from other countries.

After the prayers, the simple coffin was placed in the tomb, and Alfonso V shoveled the first shovel of soil and threw it on the wooden coffin.

The grave was soon filled, and another tombstone appeared in the royal cemetery in the Batalha Monastery.

“Lord, please grant him eternal rest!”

The Archbishop read aloud.

"And shine upon him the everlasting light!"

Everyone recited together.

The funeral was over and everyone left one after another. The breeze from the Atlantic Ocean gently blew through the flowers, plants and trees of the monastery, comforting the departed souls.

The funeral was over, but the envoys from various countries were not in a hurry to leave. Every grand ceremony was a good opportunity to carry out diplomatic activities.

In the Royal Palace of Lisbon, a group of aristocratic children gathered together, staring intently at the chessboard on the table.

The chessboard is made of the finest wood, and the chess pieces are exquisitely carved from ivory. The lifelike queen, bishop, castle and knight gallop across the chessboard, giving a feeling of leading troops into battle.

"General!"

The Black Queen rushed out from the side and accurately stood in front of the White King, blocking all of the White King's retreat routes from three directions. The Black side's victory was certain.

"here you go!"

"Your Highness is mighty!"

The crowd cheered, and the young noble holding the black pieces stood up and looked around triumphantly.

His opponent had an unsightly expression, looked at the young noble unwillingly, and left without saying a word.

He knew very well that the young man opposite him was of noble status and he could not afford to offend him.

"Anyone else want to try it?"

The boy said loudly.

Fernando Trastamara, the second son of Juan II of Aragon, heir to the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, Mallorca, Sicily and Sardinia, was one of the most distinguished nobles in the entire Christian world.

"Your Highness, your chess skills are becoming more and more sophisticated. We are no match for you."

"Of course, Your Highness is extremely smart and will surely be a great ruler in the future..."

Fernando waved his hands in a reserved manner, but the smile on his face became more and more intense.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a pair of hostile eyes among the fawning crowd. When he saw the purple clothes he was wearing, his face suddenly darkened.

"Prince from Greece, would you like to play a round?"

Wherever Fernando looked, the children immediately dispersed, revealing Justinian on the periphery.

Justinian walked out slowly.

"First, I am a Roman prince, not a Greek prince. Please be careful with your words."

"Second, are you sure you really want to play a game with me?"

Justinian looked odd.

"What, are you scared?"

"It's you, not me, who should be scared."

"I have a bad temper and a very bad chess character. When I lose a game, I want to hit someone."

Justinian smiled innocently, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles crackled.

"My father is not here. Even if he is, he always protects his shortcomings and will not blame me."

Seeing Justinian getting closer, Fernando was a little afraid and spoke sternly.

"I am the Prince of Aragon, and you dare to hit me!"

"This is not Aragon. The King of Lisbon is my uncle. Prince Henry, who just passed away, also left me a large fortune. The Avis family will not help you."

"Besides, even if it causes a diplomatic incident, you can't do anything to me."

Justinian put his hands on his hips and held his head high.

"If it weren't for the Holy See, the Sicilian and Sardinian crowns on your father's head would not be kept at all."

Fernando looked pale.

"Greek barbarians."

he whispered.

Seeing that the other party was so weak, Justinian lost interest and waved his hand.

"Forget it. I don't have the heart to go against a wimp."

"Who are you talking about!"

Fernando shouted loudly.

"Why? As a prince, you don't want to make progress when there is so much unrest in your country, but you want to come here to play chess."

"This is my father—"

Fernando blushed.

"I know that your father was afraid that his heir would meet with an accident, so he sent you here to hide from the spotlight. Is that understandable?"

"But in my opinion, my dear uncle Juan is really crazy. He is just a nine-year-old child. There is no need for this. He might die that day."

"you--"

Fernando was so angry that he was about to rush forward, but was held back by the children around him.

Seeing that the situation was not good, some children hurriedly ran to find adults.

"Justinian, here!"

Outside the lounge window, Justinian's good friend Gonzalo Cordova poked his head out and waved to Justinian.

Justinian waved back, then looked at Fernando mockingly.

"Forget it. Even though you are weak, you are still my cousin after all. I will let you go this time!"

"When you see me, Justinian, in the Mediterranean, bow your head and behave yourself!"

The footsteps of the adults were getting closer and closer. Justinian quickly ran out of the lounge and found Gonzalo. The two of them ran all the way and got on the carriage outside the palace.

"Justinian! You're in trouble again!"

Gonzalo ran out of breath, but he was laughing happily.

"Here in the city of Siben, you are the only one who dares to make Fernando look bad in public!"

Justinian took a bottle of wine from Gonzalo, took a few sips, and snorted.

"That's too early. When I grow up, I will knock all the crowns off his heads!"

"When that time comes, I will make you the Duke of Sardinia and Grand Marshal of the Empire. What do you think?"

Gonzalo was obviously startled and waved his hands quickly.

"I am not from a noble family. The earldom in my family will belong to my brother in the future."

"If I don't accomplish anything, you won't be able to convince those officials, right?"

"It doesn't matter. I will be the emperor in the future, and no one dares to question me!"

Justinian was thinking about the future, feeling a little excited, and even took a few sips of wine.

"Besides, I trust my own judgment."

"When you are older, come find me in Carthage! The best you can do in Castile is a baron, or maybe even less than a baron."

Gonzalo's eyes also lit up, but then he became a little worried.

"If this happens, I'm afraid my brother won't let me spend his money..."

"You need money? Don't worry! Just ask me!"

Justinian took a big gulp of wine, breathed a sigh of relief, and handed the bottle to Gonzalo's lips.

"Prince, I am rich now! Uncle Enrique left me more than a thousand ducats!"

"Here! This is a reward for you!" Justinian generously took off his purse, tossed it, and stuffed it into Gonzalo's pocket.

Then, he looked mysteriously at his friend who was holding the purse in a daze.

"Are you all ready?"

"Don't worry, we're ready! We're on our way!"

Gonzalo patted his chest.

"But it seems your mother is there now, too."

"Never mind! Just go!"

Justinian was drunk and laughed.

The carriage stopped next to a manor with the royal flag of Castile flying high above it.

There was also a carriage parked outside the manor, with a proud double-headed eagle emblem painted on it.

The two men got out of the car, told the driver to drive away, and approached the sentry post carefully. Gonzalo took out a ring and the guards quickly let them pass.

"Whose ring is this? It's so useful?"

Gonzalo put away the ring mysteriously and chuckled.

"This is the ring of Knight Bellant. He is a minor character. His only advantage is that he is handsome. Hehe..."

"You also know that your Aunt Joana is in her prime. How could she possibly accompany Henry IV, who is childless, for the rest of her life?"

Justinian understood.

"You mean?"

"If Queen Ana is pregnant, the father of the child is very likely to be——"

"Okay, okay, I get it."

Justinian interrupted Gonzalo and pulled him aside, avoiding the patrolling guards.

"where is it?"

"In the innermost tower. Queen Joana would not let her live in her mansion."

"Where's the stuff?"

"I've been there, and it has everything!"

The two of them quietly walked through the flowers and went deep into the manor.

There were still many guards outside the tower. Gonzalo once again took out Knight Berrant's ring, and the two of them got away with it.

Gonzalo brought Justinian to a bush of flowers, took out several treasures he had hidden beforehand, and handed a bottle of mead to Justinian.

"Drink less! Otherwise you'll start talking nonsense again!"

Justinian nodded, took a sip, took a bunch of flowers from Gonzalo, and walked bravely to the bottom of the tower.

It was a perfect night, the midsummer night in Lisbon was peaceful and tranquil, with a bright full moon hanging in the sky, casting an amber glow.

Inside the tower, the girl sat at the window, concentrating on writing a letter.

Justinian stood on tiptoe and took a closer look. Lines of beautiful words took shape between white fingers, and a faint fragrance lingered in his nose.

"My dear Justinian, I am glad to..."

Justinian was about to read on happily, but he happened to meet the girl's half-happy, half-angry smile.

"It is not chivalrous to read a princess's letters, my prince."

"Besides, drinking before a date is not a good habit."

Isabella put down her pen, leaned over the window, cupped her cheeks with her hands, and smiled into Justinian's eyes.

The atmosphere was stagnant at this moment, and neither of them spoke. On a tree trunk not far away, Gonzalo picked up a lute and gestured to Justinian.

Beautiful music sounded in the summer night, and Justinian took out the flowers from behind him and held them in front of Isabella.

"May your life be as beautiful as these flowers, dear lady."

"Thank you, Sir Knight."

Isabella took the flower and sniffed it gently.

"Before leaving Carthage, I was wondering if King Henry would let you go to Lisbon."

"Perhaps Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, received my prayers and sent you as an angel to alleviate my sorrow after losing my loved ones."

Isabella rolled her eyes at Justinian.

"Don't let the priests hear this. They will be very angry."

"Of course, I only reveal my true feelings to the people closest to me."

"But I'm really curious, your brother actually let you out?"

Justinian chuckled.

"I heard that Enrique, that stupid guy, hasn't been having a good time lately, and the nobles in the country are increasingly calling for an early heir."

Isabella placed the bouquet on the table and stretched lazily.

"Yes, it was because of the opposition of the nobles that Enrique was forced to improve the treatment of the three of us, mother and daughter."

"Of course he is still wary, but his target is my poor brother."

Isabella sighed.

"I'm not the heir. Enrique has always wanted to marry me to a remote place so that he can be completely at ease."

"Is your brother feeling better?"

"It's a little better, but I still get sick often."

"As he gets older, I'm really afraid that Luis Enrique will do something bad to him."

Justinian nodded.

"No nobles are willing to support you?"

"There are many nobles who support my brother."

Isabella shook her head.

"Who made me a girl? If there were a male heir, they wouldn't consider a girl."

"Hello girl."

Justinian chuckled.

"What good?"

Isabella glared at him.

“It’s just good.”

Isabella knew that Justinian had been drinking, so she ignored him and smoothed her hair.

Justinian gently sniffed the fragrance of the girl and suddenly remembered something.

"You just said that Enrique wanted to marry you to a remote place?"

"Yes, actually I was engaged once when I was young. When Enrique first ascended the throne, he wanted to marry me to Prince Fernando of Aragon in order to consolidate his royal power."

Justinian raised his eyebrows when he heard this.

"I just saw this wimp. He lost a game of chess to me and got so angry that he was ready to hit me. He is not a good person!"

"It is said that he was brought back to life by Juan II through a cult ritual using the blood of his eldest son and daughter. He is doomed to be childless!"

Isabella saw that Justinian was getting anxious and looked at him with a half-smile.

"It's a pity that later Enrique felt that marrying me to Aragon would threaten his position, so he broke off the engagement. Alas..."

She shook her head with mock regret.

"This old guy finally did something human..."

Justinian muttered quietly.

"What did you say?"

"I say you are right."

"After this, he planned to marry me to Carlos, the rebellious prince of Aragon, who posed no threat to him."

"Oh."

Justinian had little to show for himself this time, for Carlos was already dead.

"He then kept in touch with several nobles from far away, in England, Burgundy... In short, he didn't want me to stay in Castile, nor did he want to see me marry a prince who was too powerful."

"Remember the Italian War not long ago? Aragon was treated so badly by you that it wanted to bring up the marriage again, but Enrique directly refused."

"He's afraid."

"I'm scared, too."

Isabella's eyes dimmed.

"The day my brother grows up, that's the day we'll go to war."

“I could die.”

Isabella smiled bitterly.

Justinian thought for a moment and held the princess's fair hand.

"Don't be afraid, I will always support you."

"In terms of status, Enrique is not as good as me. In terms of strength, he can only be said to be barely good enough. Not all nobles will support him."

"When that day comes, I will bring a large army to pick you up."

The atmosphere became quiet again. The two of them stared into each other's eyes, letting the gentle moonlight shine on them.

"Justinian! Someone has reported the news!"

The music stopped and Gonzalo shouted.

"Your mother is on her way!"

Justinian had a headache.

"Wait, I'll come back another day!"

Just as he was about to pull away, Justinian's hand was held tightly.

I turned my head and was greeted with a gentle kiss.

"Time is running out!"

Leonor's cries were getting closer and closer. Justinian looked at Isabella reluctantly, took a step, ran into the bushes, found Gonzalo, and the two climbed over the wall.

The carriage was waiting outside the wall early, and the coachman pulled the horse and the neighing sounded.

Isabella watched the carriage disappear into the night, closed the window, blew out the candle, lay on the bed, and looked at the bright moon. The faint blush on her face had not yet disappeared, and a bright smile rose at the corner of her mouth.

(End of this chapter)