CHAPTER 31 #2
Henry VII had originally believed that after escaping his exile in France and ascending the throne, he would lead a completely new life—one that was more dignified and offered more choices.
But after four years, the situation hadn’t turned out as optimistically as he had hoped.
"This is definitely something worth discussing," Hedy smiled.
She needed to teach this young man—only if the King of England was wise and discerning enough would England be a true asset to Italy.
"The first thing you need to learn is called checks and balances."
The parliament was increasingly out of control, wasn’t it?
They wanted to interfere with nearly all of the king's powers, restricting his ability to influence finances, the military, even trying to change the number of his personal guard repeatedly.
"Checks and balances..." Henry frowned. "The chips I have are just too few."
Leonardo took a sip of tea, gazing at him with a nostalgic smile.
"Your weakness lies in your mercy."
——
Dealing with smart people was a pleasure.
When Henry VII heard those words, he paused for only a few seconds before softly replying, "I understand."
Leonardo stirred his tea slowly with a silver spoon, speaking with a measured tone. "As a monarch, you possess enough capital and should be on equal footing with them."
Weaken, adjust, balance.
It all depended on whether you were willing to take action and make the necessary decisions.
Hedy, listening to their conversation, suddenly thought of her former ally, Lorenzo de’ Medici. He, like this man, had the same problem—being overly concerned with his reputation and trying to win over everyone.
It was a strategy to seek stability, to win the favor of as many people as possible and ensure that most citizens would speak of them with a tone of reverence and approval.
But that wasn’t enough.
To win, to truly triumph, what mattered more was what you actually held in your hands.
Reputation, public opinion, titles, and the recognition of those around you were all less valuable than holding tangible power.
"As you can see, I’ve been expanding the navy and am preparing to form a fleet with adequate defense capabilities," Henry Tudor said, looking toward them. "But as I was recruiting sailors, my informant told me that the Spanish fleet has already set sail toward the East."
…Were they heading to China?
Two months ago, Hedy had just sent off the students she personally selected. They would follow the fleet to the East, where they would study for at least two years.
Meanwhile, Eastern fleets would gradually arrive at the ports of Pisa and Genoa according to the maps.
Spain wanted to get involved in this?
"They don’t seem sure of the location, but the fleet is enormous," Henry VII sighed deeply, shaking his head. "It’s clear that future wars will likely be fought mostly at sea."
Hedy furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before standing up. "I’ll go speak with them. Leonardo, you stay here."
The king stood and saw her off, uncertain. "The hundreds of clauses in the treaty—was it really Mr. Machiavelli who drafted it?"
He looked barely over twenty.
"I helped revise it," Leonardo winked slyly. "Not easy to read?"
Henry VII cleared his throat. "I can just about make sense of it."
As Hedy made her way to the Navy Department, a faint sense of unease grew inside her.
She didn’t mind if Spain or Portugal found China. They might discover ports in India or Vietnam, and even if they made contact with the Emperor of China, it wouldn’t disrupt the larger picture.
But if they found the Americas and began large-scale slave trading... all the unstable factors would be on the brink of explosion.
She quickened her pace, subconsciously frowning.
The triangular trade had a natural geographical advantage.
Africa, the Americas, Europe.
Cold and warm ocean currents would guide ships back and forth, always with favorable winds.
Over a thousand years ago, Africa had been invaded and plundered by the Arab Empire, with black slaves being shipped to the Mesopotamian plains to work the land, living like cattle with no difference.
Once the Portuguese or Spaniards discovered the Americas, they would inevitably establish colonies to search for gold and silver, while also trading large numbers of African slaves, causing plantations to spread like locusts across the entire continent.
Navy Minister Pedro Rucellai was enjoying canned food with his subordinates when the queen arrived, not having had time to wipe off the syrup that had stained his beard.
"Mr. Rucellai," Hedy motioned for the onlookers to leave and got straight to the point. "Just now, Henry VII informed me that their people have detected that the Spanish have already sent out a fleet."
"So soon?" Rucellai spread out a map on the long table, his expression growing more serious. "What are you implying?"
"Do you remember our previous discussions about Africa and the Americas?
" Hedy spoke more quickly now. "Our initial plan was to focus on establishing stable connections with China and external trade before gradually expanding exploration, but now, I personally feel this cannot be delayed any longer. "
She couldn’t confirm how many fleets the Spanish had sent or whether they would accidentally stumble upon anything.
Some matters, if not dealt with proactively, would become incredibly difficult later on.
"I think I understand your point—" Rucellai hesitated. "But if we send a fleet to the Americas now, there may be no issue with the coordination of ships and personnel. However, the crews can't stay behind to help cultivate the land or guard the forts."
Most of the young men in the country were already involved in industrial and commercial development. Forcing them to go to an unfamiliar land for colonization was entirely impossible.
Hedy's mind went blank for a few seconds as she realized their population wasn't enough to bear this extra burden.
Defense, agriculture, commerce, industry—everywhere needed people.
Though the medieval period had a high birth rate, it also had a high death rate.
"Prisons," she murmured. "How many people do we still have locked up?"
"Are you suggesting...?" Rucellai, the minister, was stunned. "You want to exile the guards and prisoners?!"
"Not exile, send them," Hedy said in a low voice. "They can stay there for the long term, or they can choose to reduce their sentences through labor."
Italy had experienced war and rebellion in the past few years, and both war criminals and regular offenders had been imprisoned.
Sending them to the new lands could save a great deal of money.
"I understand," Rucellai said, rubbing his forehead. "I'll inform the Parliament as soon as possible."
"Make it quick," Hedy took a deep breath. "I don’t think Spain will show much mercy toward those black slaves."
Once they had exhausted the labor value of those slaves, Spain’s capital market would receive a terrifying influx of starting funds. The subsequent industrial revolution and arms race could not be underestimated.
She had to solve these problems before Isabella did.
The English stayed in Florence for a month before finally leaving, each of them appearing as if they had just undergone an examination—tired and half-asleep.
They had signed a comprehensive and thorough Treaty of Florence with Italy, officially launching a decade-long collaboration between the two countries. During this time, both nations would cooperate on academic research and other projects, providing mutual assistance on various matters.
Henry VII and Leonardo had several talks, and when they left, there was a new resolve in Henry's eyes.
With the arrival of the March equinox, news came from the Oracle.
— After returning, Henry VII began disbanding many noble private armies and instituted a system for recruiting mercenaries.
It was as if he had become a different person—his actions were now swift and decisive, and he showed no mercy to certain old men.
In just a few months, dozens of elderly nobles were tried and punished for "treason." Not only were their lands confiscated, but their wealth and titles were also stripped away.
The purge had come a bit late, but it caused a great deal of uproar and panic.
The once benevolent king had suddenly revealed his claws and sharp edges, making people eager to avoid him.
At the same time, Florence's industrial district welcomed even more innovations.
Their esteemed Prince—Leonardo di Piero da Vinci—not only began mass production of the needle-sharpening machines he had designed six years ago, but he also created a miraculous textile machine.
This shouldn’t have been so surprising—after all, nearly everyone in Florence knew that this gentleman seemed to be capable of anything.
But when the residents and workers saw the machine rumbling to life, weaving fabric at an incredible speed under the noise of steam and gears, their expressions were as though they had witnessed a gypsy breathing fire.
It was simply unbelievable!
With just a bucket of coal and a sufficient supply of raw materials, the machine could weave large swaths of fabric at an astonishing speed, even creating beautifully intricate overlapping patterns!
In the past, it would take craftsmen forty days to grind a sewing needle, but now, it only took four days to complete.
They no longer needed dozens of people working tirelessly day and night. Now, they could simply assign shifts for night watch and still get the work done. And what was produced by these machines was even better than what had been made by hand!
More and more machines were created and promoted, and gradually, mechanical workshops began to flourish even in Milan and Genoa.
Once the March equinox passed, Florence officially established the country's first mechanized factory, employing thousands, with production efficiency twenty times higher than it had been ten years ago.
And just as the townspeople cheered and celebrated, ships filled with death row inmates and forced laborers sailed westward, carried by ocean currents.
Their destination: the Americas.