1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 370 Treaty of Toledo

In a restaurant in a seaside castle in Palermo, Isaac had lunch with a middle-aged priest.

After the sea route was opened, the food on the table became more and more dazzling, including candied roses, salted quail, cream cake, mushroom soup, lemon cheese, Grommet bananas... from delicious main meals to after-meal fruits, there was everything.

However, the priest opposite him turned a deaf ear to all kinds of delicious food, silently munching on dry bread sprinkled with a little salt and drinking cold water to fill his stomach.

After repeated persuasion, seeing that the other party was still stubborn, Isaac simply ignored him, quickly finished the food in front of him, and began to read the letter brought by the priest.

"My dear father, my dear emperor, when you read this letter, I am in Toledo, negotiating an agreement with various forces in Castile."

"Every kingdom, every territory, every city, they all sent their own envoys."

"The Portuguese envoys have already arrived, and the messenger from the King of France has also arrived in Toledo. The envoy from Aragon is on the way. After the Duke of Burgundy died in the battle, the French are no longer willing to support them."

The letter was from Justinian, but the beautiful cursive handwriting was obviously from Isabella's.

"To be honest, the political situation in Castile is extremely bad. There is no way to sort it out in a short period of time. Isabella and I can only try to win more support for Carlos before we leave here."

"Gonzalo's elder brother, Alonso the Kingmaker, was the biggest contributor to Carlos' support. He received the title of Duke, the hereditary rights to the Port of Almeria and the highest marshal of the kingdom."

"Toledo Archbishop Fonseca and Senior Priest Gonzalez, although they did not explicitly support Carlos, they also did not like Fernando who was wavering. I plan to allow Fonseca to remain as Archbishop and serve as Prime Minister of the Kingdom, while Gonzalez will be the Bishop of Salamanca."

"Don Juan, the old knight left by King Enrique, is still guarding Juana's last castle. I didn't disturb them. Their will has little impact."

"But a few days ago, I received a letter from Uncle Alfonso in Lisbon. He told me that he didn't want to see Juana get hurt, nor did he want me to put her in a convent as you said. Her father may not be King Henry, but her mother must be Aunt Joana."

"Just last year, Aunt Joana died of illness in a small castle in the countryside far away from Toledo. She was almost alone and helpless, and even couldn't find a doctor. My mother was very sad and asked me to send soldiers to transport her body to Lisbon and hand it over to Uncle Alfonso, believing that it was the ugly court of Castile that hurt her."

"Mother knew that you probably wouldn't have good intentions towards Joana's children, so she sent the letter directly to me, specifically asking me to treat Juana kindly and to find Aunt Joana's other illegitimate children, and at least give them a relatively prosperous life."

"I found a few illegitimate children of Aunt Joana and asked them to serve as Carlos's attendants. These people have no inheritance rights at all, but they will stay by Carlos' side because of their close blood relationship. I think this is a good idea."

Isaac took a sip of his wine and continued reading.

"My uncle and mother proposed a solution to the inheritance dispute. They wanted to marry Juana to Carlos. I had no objection to this. Although Isabella was somewhat dissatisfied, she would still consider the stability of Castile."

"In the north of Castile, in what they call 'Old Castile', there are still many nobles who are inclined towards Juana in their hearts, even if they are selfish and unwilling to provide Juana with any funds or troops."

"I think that if Carlos and Juana's marriage is successful, Fernando will really have no reason to interfere in the situation in Castile. I took advantage of the war to clear out a large number of stubborn nobles on the south bank of the Tagus River. The nobles and priests who support us will also gain enough benefits. They have been racked by the wars and will not object too much."

"You said before that I would be solely responsible for Iberia's affairs, but I still want to hear your opinion."

Then, Justinian gave a brief account of the military situation and the ruling situation. He believed that the Iberian expeditionary force could no longer withstand a long battle and that Castile was full of bandits and robbers. It was meaningless to continue the war and a peace treaty should be signed as soon as possible.

"Finally, I would like to introduce you to a real talent. This person was introduced to me by Isabella. After two hours of conversation, I think he is a real good Christian with a sense of responsibility and means."

"This man's name is Ximenez de Cisneros. He is a priest with bachelor's degrees from the University of Madrid and the University of Salamanca. He has served as a priest in the Vatican and is now back in Castile."

"I intend to make him Carlos' theology and law teacher, and after Archbishop Fonseca and Father Gonzalez pass away, he will be qualified enough to serve as the new Archbishop of Toledo and Prime Minister of the Kingdom."

"I sent him to bring you this letter. You can talk to him and perhaps you will understand my intention."

"No matter what, Vallejo is above all else, and the family's glory will last forever."

"Your eldest son, Justinian Dragash Gatillusio Capet Burgundy Avish Palaiologos."

Isaac ignored Justinian's over-rigorous use of the full name, put the letter down, and looked across at Cisneros.

Cisneros, wearing simple coarse cloth and a wooden cross, was swallowing the last bite of dry bread.

Ximenes de Cisneros was a well-known figure in Spanish history. Isaac certainly knew him, without Justinian's introduction.

In the original time and space, the reign of the "Catholic Kings" was the real foundation period of the Spanish Empire's 300-year foundation. Spain was founded after three wars, and completed all-round reforms from politics to military to church. It also plundered countless wealth from all over the world and became a true world hegemon from a wild land in the corner of Europe.

Among the three people who drove this change, in addition to Queen Isabella who ruled over everything and the invincible Marshal Gonzalo, the last one was Archbishop Cisneros.

As for King Ferdinand of Aragon, his contribution was very small and he did not receive much support in Castile. As soon as Isabella died, he directly lost control of Castile, and Castile and Aragon almost split again.

Cisneros was a native Castilian, born into a ruined noble family. He devoted himself to the Catholic cause from an early age, was well-read, and was a lofty idealist.

During this era, the Catholic Church had become extremely corrupt. Middle and senior clergymen extorted the people in the name of God, while they openly trampled on traditional Christian morals, indulged in alcoholism, visited prostitutes, committed sodomy, and kept mistresses... They lived a life of debauchery and extravagance.

Cisneros was the exact opposite of these people. He was extremely determined and held himself to the most stringent standards of ancient Christianity. He led a hard life of abstinence and asceticism, practiced Franciscan theory, wore linen clothes, ate simple meals, and slept on a hay bed. He had almost no material needs and disdained glory and power. He only cared about his own beliefs and devoted everything he had to the cause of Jesus Christ.

In the original time and space, at the repeated requests of Isabella and other senior priests, Cisneros reluctantly came out of his ascetic life, ascended to the temple, and became the Archbishop of Toledo and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Castile.

During Cisneros' tenure, Castile launched a vigorous church reform. This true idealist used an iron-fisted approach to clean up the dirt and residue of the Castilian church. He required them to learn the ascetic spirit of the ancient apostles like himself, strictly prohibit extravagance, promote benefits and eliminate disadvantages, and even forced many priests who kept mistresses to become Muslims.

Under his reforms, the Catholic Church in Castile became the most pious and simple Catholic Church in the whole of Europe. The hedonistic trend was stagnant. Cisneros used the large amount of money saved to support the holy war, carry out education, restrict the nobility, strengthen the royal power, pay attention to the poverty, and promote charity. He greatly changed the Spanish people's views on the church and religion, making Spain truly a "country of God."

Later, the wind of the Reformation, which originated in Germany, swept across half of Europe. Even the Kingdom of France, known as the "eldest daughter of God", broke out in the protracted Huguenot War, but Spain was hardly affected at all. The people believed in Catholic teachings and the Spanish Church.

Of course, from the perspective of future generations, Cisneros was an extremist who vigorously advocated religious dictatorship. He broke all the last religious tolerance policies in Iberia, fanatically controlled the religious courts throughout Spain, ordered the Moors to convert to Christianity, and slaughtered and expelled non-Christians with the most violent means. While promoting Spanish national identity, he also caused them to lose a large number of industrialists and businessmen.

Cisneros had no wife, no children, no land, and despite his impressive statutory income, his personal property until his death consisted of only a pile of rags and rags.

Although Isaac does not agree with the ideas of this kind of purist, he still treats him with due respect.

"Cisneros...are you satisfied with your meal?"

Isaac spoke in Latin, searching for a topic to talk about.

"Very satisfied, Your Majesty."

Cisneros also answered in fluent Latin, somewhat surprised.

"I didn't expect you to speak Latin so well."

"As the official language of the Roman Empire, I naturally have to study it seriously."

Isaac pondered.

"Justinian sent you here not just to deliver the letter. What do you think about this war?"

"If you are asking about the Granada War, it was of course extremely just. After the fall of Granada, there was no longer any Saracen regime on the European continent. History will remember this great war."

Cisneros said.

"As for the War of the Castilian Succession, it was a civil war between Christians, and as a clergyman, I should not make any comments on it."

"But if I had to choose between Carlos, Juana and Fernando as the monarch of Castile, I would of course choose Carlos."

Cisneros said seriously.

"Juana's tangled bloodline and illegitimate children were tolerable, but her leniency towards the Mudejars and Hebrews was irritating."

"As for Prince Fernando of Aragon, to tell you the truth, among all the Iberian countries, I hate Aragon the most. There are too many Mudéjars there, and the monarch and nobles are unwilling to eliminate these demons."

Cisneros looked at Isaac and continued.

"Compared to the King of Aragon, your attitude towards the Saracens is quite admirable. They are not worthy of living in a city with Christians as free men. Either convert to Christianity or lose everything."

"Others say you are the greatest jihadist of this century, having cleared out countless Saracens. Although you follow different rituals, your previous deeds deserve our respect."

"but--"

Cisneros changed the subject.

"I heard that you have recently provided the Saracens with autonomy in several remote territories, and are planning to absorb more Saracen industrialists and businessmen?"

Before Isaac could respond, Cisneros shook his head heavily.

"This is absolutely unacceptable. They are all untouchables. Most of the places they live in now were taken from others. These people should be driven to the desert of the Arabian Peninsula. That is their homeland!"

“This is our internal matter.”

Isaac simply refused to discuss it.

"Despite what you said, the Spanish people don't seem to have much resentment towards the Mudejar Muslims."

"A land without Mudejars cannot be rich, this is an Iberian folk proverb."

"Yes, they care too much about material enjoyment."

Cisneros sighed.

"Being content with poverty is a traditional Christian virtue. Excessive pursuit of material life will lead to greed and cause the complete collapse of social morality."

"The pursuit of enjoyment is the doctrine of the Saracens, and that is one of the reasons why I hate them."

"I know you don't like this argument. I have also seen merchants from the Eastern Empire. They live in extreme luxury. This is wrong. We cannot abandon our faith in pursuit of development."

"Our lives are given by God. We should use our limited lives to create greater value and devote our lives to the sacred cause!" Cisneros' words were sonorous and powerful. Isaac shook his head, walked to the window, waved his hand, and Cisneros also came over.

Today is Easter. Under Isaac's instructions, the city of Palermo held a grand celebration. All churches held feast days masses and believers lined up to receive bread and wine from the priests.

Of course, the bread was unleavened, which was a Western etiquette, and Isaac had no reason to anger a large group of people over such a trivial matter.

After capturing Palermo, Isaac quickly bought a lot of food and clothing from the rear through ocean transportation to stabilize prices and win the hearts of the people. He also took advantage of Easter to ask several circuses and theater troupes to perform for the citizens.

Although this is an autonomous region, cultural infiltration and economic control are still inevitable.

The residents of Palermo quickly emerged from the panic of the siege and celebrated their first Easter as Eastern Roman citizens in the streets, hugging and kissing each other.

“Jesus is risen.”

People said to each other.

"Cisneros, have you ever presided over an Easter service?"

Isaac pointed to the church where the celebration was taking place.

"Of course I did."

Cisneros said.

"That's what a priest does."

"I have brought sufficient supplies to the citizens of Palermo so that they can have a prosperous and happy holiday this year."

Isaac pointed toward the street.

"Look at those citizens, what do they eat?"

"Bread."

Cisneros replied.

"Where's the drink?"

"wine."

“No, they eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Isaac smiled.

"You just said sacred. What is more sacred than bread and wine?"

"It is the most sacred thing to provide Christians with food, wine and clothes, so that they can enjoy a better and better life."

"To achieve this goal, we must work hard to develop. Greed is not terrible, it is an important opportunity for development. Enjoyment is not terrible, it is an important source of greed."

"Whether it's colonizing indigenous peoples or exploiting Muslims, these are just means, not ends. The means may change at different times and places, but the ends remain the same."

Cisneros shook his head and sighed.

"Your Majesty, you are changing the concept. If you are willing to listen, I can explain to you in detail from a theological perspective why this view is wrong."

"Forget it. I'm not a theologian or a philosopher king. Since we can't convince each other, let's talk about something of practical value."

Isaac returned to his seat and motioned for Cisneros to return to his seat as well.

"Justinian suggested that Carlos and Juana marry and become kings of Castile together. What do you think of this?"

"If it is for the sake of an early end to the war and restoring stability to the kingdom, then there is no problem with this."

Cisneros said.

"Although incestuous marriage is not a good thing, since it is for the greater good, His Holiness will grant absolution."

Isaac pondered and nodded slightly.

In fact, Juana and Carlos are very closely related. Juana's father and Carlos' mother are siblings from the same father, and Juana's mother and Carlos' grandmother are sisters. The two are both cousins ​​and nieces and nephews.

Since Isaac did not like marrying close relatives, there was no place for Juana in his original plan. He would either send her to a convent or give her the title of a duchess, allowing her to retain her territory but prohibiting her from leaving the house of confinement.

But then again, Isaac chose to interfere in Iberia in order to prevent the joint rule of Castile and Aragon or Portugal, to avoid the emergence of a powerful country on the Iberian Peninsula that was capable of engaging in overseas confrontation with the Eastern Roman Empire, and by the way, to use the name of religion to plunge Iberia into decades of religious conflict, causing them to lose the opportunity to carry out great voyages and exercise centralized power.

Now, Aragon's dream of union has come to nothing, Portugal has taken away Galicia, the Strait of Gibraltar has been occupied by the Eastern Roman Empire, and a large number of seaports in the south are not under the direct control of the monarch, but have become the territories of the nobles and the knights. Isaac's plan has been initially realized.

A hostile Aragon seriously hindered Castile's western Mediterranean trade, a Granada full of lords made the southern territory underutilized, and a northern coast without Galicia greatly limited the number of sailors and shipyards. Castile was still the most powerful country in Iberia, but it did not have the ability to challenge the Eastern Roman Empire.

As for Portugal, even if it acquired Galicia, it was still a small country with a population of less than 150 million. After losing the route to the East Indies, it could basically only rely on the Eastern Roman Empire.

Of course, Isaac knew that his decision was based on reason. His wife Leonor, his son Justinian and his daughter-in-law Isabella would not easily ignore Carlos' interests, such as the proposal of marriage and the extremely capable Ximenes Cisneros.

"You're right. I won't take care of this matter anymore."

Isaac finally agreed.

From the perspective of interest, it is very likely that the two Palaiologos branches will turn against each other in the future. According to Isaac's estimation, after two generations, blood ties will almost completely disappear. Castile and Aragon, who share the same language and culture, may seek to unite and point their swords to the Atlantic Ocean. By that time, the Eastern Roman Empire will work with the Kingdom of Portugal to curb their expansion.

If close relatives start to marry from now on, Castile may face another crisis of extinction by that time, and a war of succession will break out again. This will be a good thing for the descendants of the Eastern Roman Empire.

"What do you think of the French?"

Isaac looked at Cisneros again.

"I have no special feelings towards the French. I neither like them nor dislike them."

Cisneros thought for a moment and spoke.

"In the future, Iberia will form a political structure of Portugal-Eastern Empire versus Aragon-France, and Castile will need to adjust its diplomatic policy according to its own situation."

"However, I do not care much for the intrigues of secular monarchs. I am a servant of God and I will sacrifice only for the cause of Christianity."

Cisneros crossed himself.

"From now on, the politics of Castile will be governed by Duke Alonso and Bishop Fonseca, and I will be responsible for the education of King Carlos and Queen Juana. I will do my best to restrain Juana's unrealistic fantasies, clear away the debauchery and filth of King Enrique's time, and restore peace to the Toledo court."

"Now that the French are focusing on Burgundy, you probably won't stay in Castile for too long. Iberia can finally have peace."

"Very good. I feel relieved that Carlos has a teacher like you."

Isaac nodded, picked up a bottle of wine, filled a glass, handed it to Cisneros, and took a glass for himself.

"Then respect peace?"

"To peace!"

Cisneros took the glass and took a sip.

……

In April 1476, as the Iberian War drew to a close, Juana allowed Carlos's troops to enter Toledo to defend the city and maintain public order.

On April 4, the Burgundian War affected the situation in Iberia. The five forces of the Eastern Roman Empire, the United Kingdom of Castile, the United Kingdom of Aragon, the Kingdom of France and the Kingdom of Portugal held negotiations in Toledo under the leadership of the Vatican and decided to end the war and restore peace on the peninsula.

Since the Kingdom of France was unwilling to make any guarantee for Aragon, Ferdinand's two-faced behavior in the Inquisition made many priests lose their good impression of him. The envoys of Aragon basically failed to gain much benefit for their monarch, and only got a written promise from the Eastern Roman Empire to "stop interfering in Valencia."

After ten days of verbal battles, envoys from five countries signed the Treaty of Toledo under the witness of God. The Eastern Roman Empire received a ransom and released all the Aragonese and French captives, and the war officially stopped.

The treaty stipulated that Carlos from the Paleologian family would marry Juana from the Trastamara family and jointly serve as kings of Castile. The throne would be legally inherited by their son. The Paleologian branch of Castile would never merge with the main branch of the Paleologian Empire of the Eastern Roman Empire. If there was any attempt to merge, they would be jointly attacked by the other countries.

The treaty transferred the Galicia region of Castile to the Kingdom of Portugal, upgraded the Biscay region to a Grand Duchy with its own government and cabinet, and the Aragonese royal family gave up its claim to Castile. The throne of Aragon would be inherited by the children of Ferdinand and the Princess of France, and the throne of Navarre would be inherited by the descendants of the Count of Foix of France.

At the same time, the treaty also listed the Inquisition as Spain's top priority. The confiscated Muslim property and Muslim territories all belonged to the Spanish Church under the guidance of the Vatican. Fonseca remained as Archbishop of Toledo, and the Archbishop of Granada was appointed by Pope Sixtus IV.

Due to the deliberate neglect of the Kingdom of France, the Kingdom of Portugal and the Vatican, the sovereignty of Sicily was not included in the scope of discussion of the Treaty of Toledo. The Kingdom of Aragon insisted that the Eastern Roman Empire would not give up an inch of land or pay a penny.

At the end of April 1476, Carlos and Juana were in the Royal Palace of Toledo. The Iberian expeditionary force of the Eastern Roman Empire gradually withdrew from the Kingdom of Castile and returned to their homeland through the Strait of Gibraltar. Peace returned to Iberia.

The war ended and peace began, but the Iberian Peninsula suffered greatly because of this war. People were displaced, large tracts of land were left barren, the royal power was squeezed, the judicial power was abused, the restoration of Catalonia was nowhere in sight, the German group in Valencia was celebrating, and non-Christians in Granada and Aragon suffered unprecedented severe persecution, with hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes.

On the surface, the Eastern Roman Empire gained nothing, and only the royal family members obtained a chaotic territory. But in the long run, the significance of this war was undoubtedly extremely important. The Spaniards lost the best opportunity to carry out the great voyages, and Elysium remained the back garden of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Kingdom of Portugal was the biggest winner in this conflict, having gained the entire Galicia without much effort. This emerging and booming kingdom was thriving under the guidance of Crown Prince João. It was no longer satisfied with simple commodity trade and began to learn from the Eastern Roman Empire, carrying out workshop development and capitalization reforms.

After acquiring Galicia, the Portuguese owned many large ports on the northern coast of Iberia. Trade with the northern countries became increasingly smooth, and they were trying every means to squeeze into the vast markets of the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

(End of this chapter)