Chapter 609 The Starting Point of 1489 AD, Desperate Situation, Columbus! Extra Chapter for the Stray Cat on the Windowsill of the Leader

January 1489, in the suburbs of Lisbon. The noisy sounds of celebration gradually faded from this civilian community. The aroma of roasted whale meat could no longer be smelled in the morning and evening smoke. Although whale meat in this era was cheaper than mutton, it was not something that ordinary civilians could afford for a long time. The Christmas celebrations left with the New Year, and the busyness of the civilians in the suburbs began again.

Thanks to the colonization of the southern continent, the Kingdom of Portugal became increasingly prosperous. Although most of the wealth brought by the great voyages flowed into the hands of nobles and merchants, the little that leaked out made it easier for the civilians in the capital to find a job and not struggle on the line of poverty.

Life in the Middle Ages was difficult, especially for peasants who were controlled by the lords. Poor small self-employed farmers and tenants not only had to pay land rent, but also head tax, household tax, mill tax, and heavy labor. Oh, and the indispensable church tithe, which was related to the salvation of the soul.

In the Catholic world, except for the Swiss mountain people who have a high tradition of autonomy and a strong martial spirit, most of the Western European peasants have been struggling for hundreds of years under the dual oppression of the lords and the church. However, no matter how difficult life is, all peasant rebellions are suppressed by the knights. The bright Middle Ages belonged to priests, nobles, knights, and now also to merchants, but it has nothing to do with the peasants who account for 90% of the population.

Of course, the poor life of Portuguese civilians is worse than that of Italian city-state citizens, but it is still better than the extreme poverty of French and English peasants. Among all the peasants, the German peasants who are the focus of the priests are at the bottom of purgatory.

13 years ago, the last Pope Sixtus IV officially conveyed the latest will of the Lord to the Catholic world: the living must ask the priests for absolution for their deceased relatives and friends who are still in purgatory, so that they can ascend to heaven early. And the way to obtain absolution is to buy indulgences. After this decree was promulgated, not only did the German peasants live in purgatory, but even their deceased relatives who had finally been freed fell into purgatory again.

In the name of buying indulgences, the taxes of the German lords increased immediately. The demands of the church priests became more and more greedy, and even the citizens of the free cities of the Holy Roman Empire could not bear it.

At this moment, the German literature bachelor Johann Tetzel had given up his studies and joined the Dominican Order to become a glorious monk of the Lord. The theological monk Tetzel was about to start his promotion path, from the Holy Roman Empire to Poland, and then back to his hometown of the Holy Roman Empire, selling indulgences all the way to raise funds for the church. Finally, he would say the famous saying that has been passed down for thousands of years, completely overthrowing the foundation of Catholic salvation and preparing the most sufficient firewood for the fire of the Reformation!

"When you donate money to a soul in purgatory and put it into the donation box, it will make a 'ding-dong' sound, and he will come out of purgatory!"

At the same time, at Mansfield Primary School in Saxony, a six-year-old child was reading a Latin Bible for the first time. He opened his clear eyes and read with difficulty.

"1.in principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. (1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth) 2. terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas. (2. The earth was without form and void, darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved on the face of the water)"

The child read and thought at the same time. He was young and could not understand these sentences. He just recited instinctively with his young and clear mind, reciting the enlightenment of the Lord. And his name, ordinary, is Martin Luther.

The evening came in the sea breeze, and the fishermen returned from the sea. Low prayers sounded in the wooden and stone church and spread throughout the suburbs of Lisbon. An ordinary house is located in a civilian community. The house is not large, and a rush candle is lit on the old wooden table, bringing precious light.

A light is as small as a bean, swaying in the house. A middle-aged man in his thirties is lowering his head, holding a quill pen, and writing furiously at the wooden table. He has an eagle nose, a long face, and prominent cheekbones. His excited blue eyes seem to be emitting light. On his left hand, there is a copy of Marco Polo's "Eastern Travels", and on his right hand, there is a copy of Ptolemy's "Geocentric Theory".

And right in front of him, a huge "Toscanelli Map" is spread out. On the map, a bright red route is marked. Starting from Lisbon, Portugal, heading west, after traveling half the circumference of the earth, it is the tempting "Spice Islands", "India" and "Seres"!

"To the holy, respectful, pious, wise, goddess-like Queen Isabella. The experienced and brave city-state navigator Columbus greets you! According to my estimation, based on Marco Polo's travel records and the calculations of the great scholar Toscanelli, the circumference of the earth is..."

At this point, the experienced city-state navigator Columbus paused and looked at the "Toscanelli Map" on the table. This is a world map drawn by the late Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, which highlights the locations of "India" and "Seres", just to the west of the European continent.

15 years ago, Toscanelli sent this map and a plan to sail westward and reach the East to Fernan Martins, a priest of Lisbon Cathedral, and then handed it over to the then King of Portugal Alfonso V. Alfonso V handed this map to court scholars for review, and in the end, the astronomers with rich navigation experience only gave a reply of "complete calculation error".

Then, Columbus, a navigator from the Italian city-state, learned about this map and wrote to Toscanelli to ask for it. Then, he received Toscanelli's reply with ecstasy, and regarded this map as a treasure, giving birth to a new navigation plan. The son of a wool weaver in this commercial city-state was much more persistent than the astronomer Toscanelli. He held on to this plan and worked hard for ten years. Now

"The circumference of the earth should be 12,000 kilometers! And the length of Eurasia should be 8,000 kilometers"

Columbus wrote confidently and wisely. He pursed his lips, dipped in cheap blue ink, and carefully wrote down the calculation formula in the letter. After a perfect calculation, he came to his subversive conclusion.

"In this way, as long as we set out from Palos Port on the southwest coast and travel 4,000 kilometers west, we can reach the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, which is a rich land full of wealth, India full of spices, and Ceres full of silk! India and Ceres are 4,000 kilometers overseas!"

Columbus lowered his head, his eyes full of hope. The light of the candle flickered on his table, like the bright stars outside the window, shining with infinite possibilities. However, just as he was full of hope and trying to write a letter

"Bang!"

A violent collision sound suddenly came from the wooden door of the hut. In just two or three breaths, the wooden door was directly knocked open, and even the simple wooden lock was broken!

"Vaffanculo!"

Columbus cursed angrily. He looked up and his heart trembled instantly. Two Slavic strongmen holding axes stood at the door of the hut like stone pillars. And a skinny Jewish businessman, wearing a small hat, looked at him with a smile.

"It's you! Eleazar"

Seeing the creditor, the anger on Columbus's face was immediately replaced by uneasiness. He stretched out his right hand and asked in a low voice while touching the sailor's dagger in the corner.

"How did you find this place?"

"Haha! Columbus, with your big mouth, what's the difficulty in finding you?"

Eleazar looked leisurely and smiled faintly. He narrowed his eyes, looked at Columbus's outstretched right hand, and ordered without hesitation.

"Go! Catch him!"

The two Slavic strongmen immediately took action and strode forward. There was no room for maneuver in the narrow house. Columbus had just reached out and touched the handle of the dagger when a heavy axe came towards him!

"Bang!"

The Slavic follower turned the axe handle and easily knocked Columbus to the ground. The blue ink immediately poured out, completely contaminating the letter to the queen. In just three or four breaths, the experienced and brave captain of the city-state was pressed to the ground, his face pressed against the mud, and even his mouth was pressed into the mud.

"Merda! Woohoo! Eleazar, you devil who deserves to go to hell! Your soul is destined to struggle in the flames."

"Ha! Columbus, the fleet of the Kingdom of Portugal has returned from the southern continent. This time, they crossed the edge of Africa and truly found the route to India!"

Eleazar spoke slowly. He had a smile on his face, but his light blue eyes were ruthlessly cold.

"The Kingdom of Portugal has mastered the new route! What about your sailing plan, hehe."

At this point, Eleazar squatted down, stretched out his hand, and gently patted Columbus' face.

"I think it's time to talk to you about your debt problem again. As your old friend over the years, I am very interested in sending your soul to hell, haha!"

Thanks to the leader Window Cat for the reward! I will be very happy to get support and affirmation. Great! っっ