Chapter 610 The Starting Point in 1489 AD, Columbus’s Choice

The cold wind of January blew from the broken door, making people feel cold all over. When the civilians around heard the sound here, they turned off the lights and locked the doors and windows. No one showed his head, and there was no inquiry. The lonely starlight shone on the simple house in the suburbs, as if it was at the end of the world.

"Woo, woo! Damn devil! Help! Sheriff, help!"

"Columbus, stop shouting. You signed the agreement with your own hands, even if you call the sheriff, you still have to pay the money! The merciful Lord will not allow any injustice!"

The Jewish merchant Eleazar smiled and took out a parchment account book from his thick linen robe. Then he opened the account book and turned forward from the last blank page. Soon, the Jewish merchant turned to the page with the latest record. Seeing the transaction records of spices, ivory and gold ornaments on it, he paused, nodded with satisfaction, and didn't care about the shouting under his feet.

"Haha, goods from the southern continent! At this price, as long as we ship it to Venice and find the noble councilors of the city-state, we can double the profit! And if we can connect with the luxurious Roman bishops, we can triple the profit!"

Eleazar thought about it for a moment, his eyes full of smiles. In this transaction, he used the manor mortgaged by a ruined nobleman to make a good deal with the upstart captain who returned from the voyage, which was equivalent to making a profit on both ends. And as long as the voyage continues, there will be more business like this in the future!

"Tsk tsk, the Moors on the peninsula are about to die. Their orchards and farms will all fall into the hands of the knights of the southern jihad. Haha, knights who don't know arithmetic are the best at doing business! However, these knights from Castile and Aragon are too fanatical. I have to find a local merchant to buy the spoils on my behalf. The profit here is huge!"

"By the way! After the jihad, a large number of jihad knights will be dismissed and will no longer receive salaries from the kingdom. They have no Moors to rob, and many of them are in debt to buy weapons, plate armor and war horses. By then, there will be another batch of mortgaged manors and houses. However, it is still a bit troublesome to collect debts from these knights who can kill people. I can only rely on the priests of the Inquisition!"

Turning through the account book, in just a dozen breaths, the Jewish merchant Eleazar had two more good ideas to make money in his mind. For him, making money is an innate instinct, and the best money-making people are the lower-level town civilians and the middle-level low-level knights.

Over the past few decades, the Roman Catholic Church has become increasingly corrupt, and its ties with various Jewish merchant groups have become much closer. When the bishops of the Church are short of money, they will ask for it from the merchant groups. In return for the money from the merchant groups, the powerful priests at all levels will also provide other conveniences. In the final analysis, if there were no huge church power behind the Jewish merchant groups that lend money, they would have been torn to pieces by the nobles everywhere. And these merchant groups themselves actually acted as white gloves for senior priests and city-state nobles.

The current Pope Innocent VIII lives an extremely luxurious life and has more than a dozen illegitimate children to raise. He is often short of money, and even secretly pawned the Pope's triple crown and the treasures of the Holy See to the Jewish merchant groups in Rome. Of course, this news cannot be leaked, otherwise it will be a dead end!

Thinking of this, Eleazar shuddered and would rather not know these deadly secrets.

"Compared to us who lend money and help civilians, the corrupt Roman Catholic Church is the one who will really go to hell!"

After a while, Eleazar finally found Columbus's loan record. He smiled and read it to the captain who was pressed to the ground with his face against the mud.

"Columbus, eleven years ago, you borrowed 20 ducats, minus 25% advance payment, with an annual interest rate of 48%. Five years ago, we calculated the accounts and the interest accumulated into the principal was 210 ducats, 3 grosso silver coins, and 16.5 denarii copper coins. Then, you were unable to repay the loan and signed a new loan agreement, agreeing to a loan amount of 211 ducats and agreeing to increase the annual interest rate by half after default."

Speaking of this, Eleazar fumbled for a while and took out the loan agreement with complete formalities. He showed a devilish smile, shook the life-threatening paper in his hand, and took it back. Then, cold words came, without any emotion.

"Loan 211 ducats, annual interest rate 60%. Five years of interest accumulated into the principal, that's it."

Eleazar reached out, picked up the paper and pen on the table, and casually calculated on Columbus's letter. 211 multiplied by 1.6 five times, it was a daunting

"2212 ducats gold coins, 9 grosso silver coins, 21.8 denarius copper coins."

Eleazar sneered and pronounced the verdict. He looked at Columbus, whose face turned pale instantly, as if he was looking at a dead man.

"2000 ducats gold coins?"

Columbus lost his soul and muttered this terrible number. At this moment, it was like a heavy mountain pressing on his back, and it was like a bottomless abyss cracking under his feet.

".Eleazar, you devil!"

Eleazar was indifferent. He looked at the wooden table, glanced at the two ancient books, and looked at the unfolded map again, but didn't take it to heart. Then, he saw the ceramic beer bottle under the table, the small basket of bread in the corner, and the paper and ink for writing.

"Huh? Columbus, it seems that you have got some money?"

The Jewish businessman paused for a moment, then reached out and took a piece of exquisite letter paper. It felt smooth in his hand and was made of parchment.

"The Reverend King of the Kingdom of Castile and León, the Holy, Great and Generous Queen Isabella, has authorized the Castilian Navigation Commission to issue to Your Excellency a reward of 14,000 Malavidi. ? (maravedis).”

After reading this, Eleazar's expression changed.

1 Venetian gold ducat is approximately 400 Castilian Malavidi copper coins, and 14,000 Malavidi is equivalent to 35 ducats. This is roughly equivalent to the annual income of a senior sailor or a business assistant. Not a lot, but not a little either, enough to live a subsistence life.

Thinking of this, Eleazar stretched out his hand again and took the letter wet with ink on the table.

"To the holy, respectful, pious, wise, goddess-beautiful Queen Isabella?"

Seeing this scene, Columbus on the ground struggled instantly. He exerted all his strength, like a fish flapping after landing. That was his hard-won hope!

"Ah! Damn it, you maggot crawling out of hell! Don't mess around!"

"Hit him in the mouth!"

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The Slavic attendant stretched out his big hand and slapped Columbus three times in the face until he was dizzy and dared not say anything anymore.

"What's this?"

Eleazar took the letter and looked at Columbus, who was bruised and bruised.

"Don't lie. You only have one chance."

".That's a reply to Queen Isabella of Castile. The Castilian Navigation Commission has just sent a sum of money"

"oh?"

Hearing this, Eleazar's eyes lit up. He smiled and stretched out his hand, signaling to the Slavic entourage to help Columbus up from the ground.

"Columbus, now that you have money, we can have a good talk again. Bring it! Although you can't pay the principal, you should have the interest of dozens of gold coins, right?"

".you!"

Columbus trembled all over and looked at Eleazar who smiled kindly. After a while, he bent down and took out a jingling cloth bag from the linen layer of his leather jacket.

"Um?"

Eleazar took the bag, weighed it, and frowned. He opened it and counted for a while, then his expression turned cold.

"So few? Only twenty ducats!"

"The Castilian Navigation Commission sent 13,000 Malawidi copper coins. I used part of it, and this is the only amount left."

As for the 14,000 copper coins designated by the Queen, why only 13,000 were sent? There is no doubt about this. Fire consumption and transaction discounts exist in both the East and the West.

"Columbus, this little money is not enough!"

Eleazar shook his head. he said with a smile.

"I heard from other sailors that you boasted that you had an unmarried Castilian girl the year before last and gave birth to a son in Córdoba, Castile? The Sudan of the East There is always a lack of obedient boys in our court."

"Ah! No, don't! Please, for the sake of knowing Eleazar for so many years, give me more time!"

Columbus suddenly felt weak when he heard about his newborn son. The courts of the sultans were not short of boys, but eunuchs from the world of God. The process of castration is against the teachings of the Star and Moon, and is also done by Jews. Therefore, there was indeed a connection between Jewish merchants and the Sultan's court.

"This, Queen Isabella gave me this, it's an annuity! I can receive it every year, and I can pay the interest of thirty gold coins every year."

"Annuity?"

Hearing this, Eleazar was a little surprised.

"Why? The queen gave you an annuity, but she gave you so little? Wasn't your proposal to sail westward been considered by the Castilian Navigation Commission and not approved?"

"."

Columbus pursed his lips and was silent for a while. After receiving the annuity from the Queen, he was overjoyed for several days and also thought about this issue. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he was forced to answer.

"The Queen's annuity is due to the success of the Portuguese voyage the year before last, when Diogo's fleet brought back the tokens of John the Elder's kingdom. This news has spread among senior captains and sailors! The Queen also has a great interest in navigation and exploration. Interested. She generously gave a sponsored annuity to all the captains in the Navigation Committee who had submitted proposals."

Speaking of this, Columbus paused for a moment and his expression became fanatical. he shouted excitedly.

"But, only I, only I am right! If you go to the west, you will definitely find India, which is rich in spices, and you will definitely find Seris, which is as rich as heaven! I have compiled books with Marco Polo's travel route and Thomas Polo's travel route. Lemy’s Map of the Earth!”

"Mr. Christopher, I'm not interested in these. I'm only interested in gold coins."

Eleazar smiled faintly, stretched out his hand, and weighed the clattering bag again. Twenty gold ducats, although a bit small, was more than he had expected when he arrived. Moreover, it can be collected many times.

"Columbus, this is just interest. I will come back to you when your annuity is paid. You'd better raise more money. Otherwise"

The Jewish businessman shook his head, stretched out his hand, and straightened his black round hat. Then, he turned around, took two Slavic attendants, and walked away in a leisurely manner.

The cold January wind blew in the simple hut. The broken wooden door kept creaking and shaking. The winter snow and the icy wind blew into Columbus's arms, making him shiver all over.

Columbus touched his swollen face, sat on the ground, looked at the empty door, and was filled with grief and indignation. After a while, he gritted his teeth and became ruthless.

"I can't stay here any longer! There is no hope for the Portuguese court! And the only one who might accept my sailing plan is..."

Thinking of this, the experienced and brave middle-aged captain stood up suddenly and looked to the east. The royal palace of Madrid in the east is just 1,300 miles away!