Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

"Duarte, you’ve had this plan for a long time, haven’t you? But what result would we get by betraying His Majesty and siding with Duke Manuel? Duke Manuel is merely a puppet of the Great Nobility and the Church, without any real foundation. Are we really going to entrust our family’s fate to those local Great Nobility and bishops, whom we once suppressed?"

"No! Nuno, this isn’t betrayal. We’re just... just seeking a more practical and reliable future for Prince George and ourselves! Moreover, we cannot place our family’s fate in the hands of the Great Nobility and bishops... Yes! Duke Manuel indeed has no foundation and is just a puppet of those people... But once we unite, and side with Duke Manuel, he will inherit the royalist power left by His Majesty! He will no longer be a puppet but can become the successor of His Majesty, becoming our new seigneur!"

"What are you saying?!"

Hearing this, Nuno Chief was taken aback. He slowly straightened his spine, his deep old eyes squinting as he stared at Duarte’s stern face, asking in a deep voice.

"Almighty be witness! Duarte, have you and Duke Manuel been colluding all along? When did this occur? Was it six years ago when you led the troops to suppress the Braganza rebellion and passed through the Duke of Viseu’s territory?"

"...Ahem! Nuno, my old friend, you’re still as sharp as ever. With just a flicker of fire, you can see the moth in the dark night..."

Duarte coughed awkwardly, looking into the cold eyes of his old friend and explained softly.

"Holy Mother! Back then His Majesty was in his prime, pressuring the Great Nobility heavily. How could I have conspired with the down-and-out Duke Manuel at that time? It was just that back then, Duke Manuel was only twenty years old, yet he could host everyone very discreetly. He wrote me several letters, full of gratitude, praise, and expressions of goodwill, and sent me quite a few gifts..."

"At that time, I already felt that this young duke, though seemingly unremarkable and without any fame or great deeds... was indeed not a simple character! Now, the Lisbon Bishop has brought him from his land... he seized the opportunity to have a servant send me a letter, expressing respect for us royalists... And did he not publicly praise you in the Church before? That wasn’t some hypocritical performance but genuine admiration from the heart!"

"...Six years ago, at the age of twenty, he already knew to write to you?... Now at twenty-six, after entering the city, he wrote a letter again?"

Upon hearing this, Nuno Chief frowned, evidently pondering. He hesitated for quite a while before finally speaking as he looked at Duarte’s face.

"Duarte, show me the letter from Duke Manuel!"

"Okay! I kept it hidden in this secret chamber... here you go!"

"Just this one letter? What about the previous ones?"

"The previous ones? Of course, I burned them. How could I dare to keep those letters when His Majesty was still around?"

"..."

Nuno Chief was momentarily speechless. The deterrent effect of a Monarch in his prime and a dying Monarch on their vassals and subordinates cannot be compared.

It’s like an aging lion, being weak isn’t frightening, what’s frightening is everyone knowing he’s weak and has little time left. That foundation of power suddenly crumbles from the bottom. Without time, the future’s intimidation and rewards, the hearts of people disperse, and power ceases to exist!

"Lord! Time is indeed ruthless..."

Nuno Chief silently read the letter in his hand from Duke Manuel over and over. The hints in the letter of wooing and showing goodwill to the Court Nobles, along with promises for the future... Such an acute sense of power indeed doesn’t seem like that of a 26-year-old young noble without previous fame or seemingly harmless!

"So? Nuno, I wasn’t lying to you, was I? Duke Manuel himself has no strong base in the Capital City. If he doesn’t want to be a puppet of the Church and the Great Nobility, he can only rely on our strength to achieve a tripartite balance with the Church and the Great Nobility!"

Seeing Nuno Chief’s reaction, Duarte immediately felt assured and said with a smile.

"This young duke is indeed very smart! He could forget such hatred when his brother was stabbed to death by His Majesty and grew up safely under His Majesty’s watchful eye for decades. And now, he has entered the city and has become the heir to the throne supported by the Church and the Great Nobility, yet he remains humble and even secretly shows goodwill to us..."

"Compared to this Duke Manuel, Prince George, His Majesty’s illegitimate son, falls far short! If it ever comes to blows, even if we manage to win short-term in the city, on the battleground across the Kingdom, there will be no chance..."

Nuno lowered his eyes, listening to Duarte’s persuasion. After a long silence, he let out a long sigh from his silent chest.

"Ah! Fado! Fate indeed!"

"So, Nuno, have you thought it through? I’ve said from the start that supporting Duke Manuel is our best choice! And it’s also beneficial for Prince George, allowing him to return to the land His Majesty conferred upon him, at least sparing him from getting caught up in such a brutal power struggle, ensuring his survival safety!"

"Are you sure Duke Manuel’s heart is broad enough to tolerate Prince George’s safety, Duarte?"

"Of course! Prince George is His Majesty’s illegitimate son! Being illegitimate is both an obstacle to his succession and his protection. As long as the Pope doesn’t absolve his original sin of birth, he poses no threat to Duke Manuel after he ascends to the throne. His threat to the throne isn’t as significant as that of the Duke of Braganza! The Duke of Braganza’s succession rights are quite significant, not much less than that of Duke Manuel!"

Mentioning the Duke of Braganza, Duarte’s expression also darkened. His hands were stained with the blood of the other’s family, and the palace guards were all bloodstained. It’s an almost irreconcilable, life-or-death conflict. Even if the bishops vouched for it, it couldn’t be trusted.

If the bishops supported the Duke of Braganza’s succession, he would have no choice. Even without His Majesty’s authorization, he’d have to mobilize the Guards to fight to the death! Conversely, if the weak proclamation of Prince George succeeded, the Duke of Braganza would certainly seize the opportunity of a weakened royal family, suddenly rising up, demanding the crown, even bringing the Castilians westward, to fight to the bitter end.

"Almighty protect us! To be frank, if not for the unclear state of His Majesty’s illness, fearing a ruthless move before His Majesty’s death, and also wary of the Duke of Braganza’s power... those cunning bishops may not have even supported Duke Manuel! And this ’completely harmless’ choice is barely acceptable for the Church, the local Great Nobility, His Majesty, and us as the next King!"

"..."

This weighing of interests, the contention and compromise of various forces, is the natural instinct of political beings. Nuno Chief only thought for a few moments before he nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the complicated and unpredictable situation of the Kingdom flooded into his heart, transforming into faces with different thoughts and interests. Amidst the Church, the Great Nobility, and the Royalist Party’s confrontation, Duke Manuel, though imperfect, truly was a King that all sides could accept! And this Duke was clever enough to throw an olive branch early on to win over their third party...

"Almighty! Such a young and clever duke!"

In the secret chamber, Nuno Chief sighed deeply, assessing sincerely and thus making a decision.

"Fado! This may be fate indeed! The favor of fate, for a ’fortunate’ Portuguese King!"