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The seafood that England later purchased was nothing to talk about, cheap goods that were barely worth mentioning—everything valuable was snatched up by Isabella!
Hedy sipped her tea, watching his expression with a faint smile: "It's normal to enjoy luxury."
"My god, where did she get all that money?" Henry VII was getting a bit frustrated. "You must have heard the news from England—I raided the homes of dozens of nobles, and all the money went into the treasury. We're just about to pawn off the ring my grandmother left behind. Not only can she build a navy,but she also has so much extra money. Did she tear down the churches or something?"
It's possible.
After all, that's how some pagans meet their downfall.
Hedy didn't respond immediately but started thinking about other matters.
She hadn't expected that the king would be so passionate about purchasing luxury goods.
When the Chinese cargo ship left Pisa port, it still had a substantial stock of goods. After all, Italy had only bought the goods in the previous quota set by the upper house, so there hadn't been much of a trade deficit.
But Spain...
That made sense.
Her power stemmed from her indulgence in religious forces, and her wealth was ruthlessly extracted from the people.
Such an autocratic and tyrannical ruler had always been playing with fire.
With the other diplomats and lords still some time away, Hedy decided to gather a few cabinet officials to lay the groundwork and provide explanations in advance for this alliance.
On this visit, Henry VII had specifically brought distinguished professors from Cambridge and Oxford, reportedly highly enlightened and exceptionally intelligent scholars.
They sat in the meeting hall, watching as Niccolo unfurled the map like raising a flag and carefully fixed it in place. For a moment, they all stood still in shock.
The dark brown and light gray regions were familiar to them—that was Europe and Africa, old acquaintances.
But the question was, why was there another continent next to it? Where was that?
"To put it simply, we have found the Americas," Niccolo cleared his throat and said. "It's vast and the climate is very suitable forfarming and livestock."
Europe, with its rugged mountains and narrow regions, had dozens of countries crammed together, almost like a college dormitory with sixteen people.
In contrast, the Americas seemed like a luxurious presidential suite—if it could be properly managed.
"The Americas?!" Henry VII straightened up suddenly, turning to Hedy and asking, "A new continent?"
"We could develop many industries there," Hedy said slowly. "And also seize more colonies."
"Wait a minute, if there's such a good thing, why did you invite others?" Henry VII looked at her with a complex expression. "Wouldn't it be better for us to take it all for ourselves? Or do you think England isn't trustworthy?"
"What do you think is more important than resources?"
"Resources are already important enough, Your Majesty," he stood up and walked over to the map. "As you can see, this land has many lakes and alluvial plains, and we don't lack labor. Over in Africa—"
Henry VII paused at this point, faintly sensing something.
He glanced at her uncertainly, then turned back to the map. "Seriously speaking, resources are gold, but what's more valuable than gold...?"
"Order, Mr. Tudor," Hedy said slowly. "If everyone rushes in to grab everything, it will definitely lead to conflict."
"And once the fighting starts, no matter how much you seize, it might not even be yours."
She had started thinking about this issue a year ago.
