CHAPTER 29 #3
"Is it... a ship?" the young man hesitated.
"A ship? What the hell are you hesitating for! Call someone!" The captain raised his hand and smacked the young man’s head, causing several apples to roll onto the ground. "The Italians are coming!"
People had never seen a ship like this before—
The merchant ships nowadays were all modeled after the Hansa's single-masted cog ships, with the foremast housing weapons and cannons, and the rear mast housing a sterncastle to balance the weight and prevent the ship from tipping.
The trendier ships had a design inspired by the Portuguese two-masted caravels, which were said to not only hold a lot of cargo but also had cannons at both the front and the rear.
But the thing now heading towards them—what the hell was it?!
Had the Italians brought their leaning tower with them?!
More and more people at the port began to notice the gradually growing shape of the ship, and many cried out in astonishment, as though they were witnessing both the sun and moon descending simultaneously.
This was no small sailing ship—it was a massive white tower!
Its main mast had been raised to an unbelievable height, with the flag of the Phoenix soaring in the wind, resembling a giant bird spreading its wings over the sea.
Not only was the sterncastle equipped with additional masts and cannon platforms, but the deck and hull were so wide that the lower deck alone could accommodate at least a hundred people!
To put it into perspective, the best ships in Venice today could barely fit seventy or eighty people at most.
But this castle-like behemoth, at the very least, had two or three hundred people aboard!
What was even more terrifying was that this wasn't just one ship—there was a whole fleet coming! At least forty to fifty ships in total!
Some people rode horses to find the governor, seeking assistance, while others went to call back the navy and mercenaries for defense.
But it was already too late.
This was no mere fleet—it was ten fleets.
Over a hundred giant ships nearly surrounded half of the Venetian bay, like a storm cloud falling from the Adriatic sky!
When over a hundred cannon shots fired simultaneously in response to flag signals, even the lighthouse and fortress in front of the port were blown to pieces!
The Venetians were on the brink of madness—how were they supposed to fight this? How could they fight this?!
They had battled the Ottoman Empire for seventeen years, and despite being a small nation, they managed to hold their ground against the Arabs, thanks to their natural advantage of a superior port.
But now, that port advantage was entirely in the hands of the Italians—
Ships as high as castles! Cannons capable of firing hundreds of meters! And so many ships from who knows where!
Venice fell in a single day.
The governor fled with his wife and children, and the others had no time to even think about resisting.
The giant ship had its own cannon-loading tracks, allowing cavalry and musketeers to disembark and strike immediately upon landing. Even stone walls could do nothing to stop them!
It wasn’t until the Phoenix flag was planted on the governor’s palace that someone finally learned the name of the giant ship— Pezaro Sailship.
This was Lorenzo's final gift to Italy.
Five or six years earlier, Lorenzo had led an army to retaliate against the Roman Catholic Church's siege of Rome, and he had pushed all the way to the easternmost edge of the Apennine Peninsula, seizing ports that once belonged to the Holy Roman Empire.
At that time, his alchemists had suggested the creation of a fleet and new-style sailing ships—of course, the ship design was entrusted to Leonardo da Vinci.
By now, the Pezaro Sailship had become a groundbreaking, revolutionary vessel.
It broke away from the clunky design of smaller ships, boasting four decks and an incredibly high main mast. From wind power to cargo capacity, it was like Noah's Ark!
Not only that, benefiting from the protection of Florence, these fleets had begun loading new-style cannons and ammunition since the previous summer. They could communicate flexibly using flag signals and even fire bright green signal flares at night to maintain communication.
With such a fleet dominating the Adriatic Sea, there was no place Venice could defend!
While the fleet carried out a surprise attack on the bay, the Duchy of Ferrara, under the pretext of "Venice conspiring against the Queen's son," tore up their peace treaty and launched an assault on Mantua, advancing eastward through Saint Mark's, with their army rapidly conquering city after city in a swift and unstoppable march.
No one had expected the queen, during her pregnancy and childbirth, to think about retaliating against Venice. Even less had they expected her to present a charge sheet, stained with the Borgia blood, exposing the governor's crimes.
The fall of Venice took only one day, and the collapse of the entire Venetian Republic took just a month!
Mercenaries rushed to capture city after city, and any place that resisted was left in ruins, with the city walls obliterated. Everywhere they went, thunderous gunfire echoed like a downpour about to strike, and the cannons shook the very earth beneath them!
When this news spread, it sent shockwaves across Europe, leaving England, France, Norway, and Hungary in utter disbelief!
They knew that the Italians had secret methods capable of destroying high walls and ancient fortresses, but they had no idea they also possessed such a terrifying fleet.
Venice, originally a refuge for immigrants fleeing the Huns under King Attila, had now come to the end of its old fate, completely surrendering to the banner of the Italian Empire.
Corsica had already submitted after Genoa's fall, and several nearby islands had also switched flags due to the downfall of Naples.
Now, the Venetian Republic had been completely replaced, and the entire Apennine Peninsula belonged to the Italian Empire!
It bordered the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, and the Alps to the north, its shape resembling the queen's boot.
Interestingly, Italy's national holiday was June 2nd.
On June 2nd, 1488, Italy finally completed its unification, and under the blazing sun, the same flag was raised across the country.
When Hedy appeared at the celebration wearing her crown, Florence was already deep in revelry.
From this day on, they would no longer pay a single extra cent in customs fees for dealings with Venice. The entire island would now be governed by the same laws and regulations!
Niccolo could barely find his voice as he read the proclamation, while Raphael and Michelangelo worked together to hang the large map of Italy, shaped like the queen's boot, in the queen’s office.
As the prince rode through the city on horseback, countless bouquets were thrown at him, almost burying him under the weight of their admiration.
The people shouted the names of the queen and the prince, their fervor so intense that it felt like it might tear the rooftops off the city.
In this world, only Leonardo da Vinci could have built such miraculous warships that could effortlessly seize Venice!
The Medici family had already taken the helm of both religious and imperial power, and all of Europe was now in awe of them!
The celebration lasted for ten days, and by the end, the square was packed with pigeons and sparrows, clucking as they fought for the olives and grains dropped by the people.
Hedy, leaning against the cradle, dozed off, her black hair cascading over her shoulder like a flowing waterfall.
The man quietly entered the room and carefully draped a blanket over her.
Hedy sleepily sat up, her eyes still half-closed, and whispered, "Leonardo? Where did you go just now?"
Leonardo gently rocked the cradle, watching the two children sleep peacefully like angels.
"I just went out to see Niccolo," he said, reaching out to pull Hedy into his embrace, bending down to kiss her forehead. "He told me the runaway governor has been caught."
At the mention of the governor, Hedy couldn't help but laugh.
"I've noticed," he observed, watching her smile, "you seem very sensitive to the word 'governor'—and you always laugh when you hear it."
"Yes," Hedy covered her mouth and yawned, "After all, it's 'doge.'"
In Italian, the word for "dog" is 'cane,' and the plural of governor is 'doges.' Sometimes, when she read too quickly, she couldn't help but imagine a pack of wild dogs running freely, each one wearing the hat of the Doge of Venice.
The door was suddenly knocked twice, and Dechio's voice came through, "Your Majesty, I’m afraid you need to change and go out."
"Isn't today a rest day?" Hedy gestured for him to come in. "Come in, you can tell me directly what’s going on."
Dechio, now the official chief secretary, had become more influential under Hedy’s guidance. More and more women were becoming involved in court and parliamentary affairs, and long-haired figures were starting to appear in universities.
"The situation is this." He held up a file, his voice barely containing his excitement. "Mr. Columbus has returned with his fleet—they're waiting for you in the conference hall."
"What?" Both Hedy and Leonardo asked simultaneously. "Say that again?"
"They’ve brought back nearly ten carts of different things—" Dechio was nearly unable to control his tone. "And they've completed the circumnavigation of the globe!"
This was the fastest Hedy had ever changed clothes.
She hadn’t expected things to progress so smoothly. It seemed that the world map she and Leonardo had drawn together had played a part, or perhaps it was divine blessing.
Leonardo hurriedly handed the children over to the nannies and guided Hedy toward the conference room.
"Do you think they've found the East?" he asked quickly.
"I don't know—let's hope so," she tightened her grip on his hand, feeling her heart race faster.