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Human greed and malice are hard to eliminate—even in the year 2500, there will likely be endless criminal events.
On the original historical timeline, the first nations to discover the Americas began a frenzied colonial expansion using black slaves, seizing unimaginable wealth and thus altering the courseof history.
But the wars that followed caused them to keep retreating.
War and chaos are inevitable, but perhaps the prophet can choose where to direct the fires of war.
When Henry VII heard this, something clicked in his mind. He stepped back to look at the size of the continent on the map, then turned to her again. "Are you sure there are no other empires on this continent?"
"Only some indigenous people with bows and arrows," Hedy replied slowly. "I swear it in the name of the Medici."
"And no other armies?"
"The Spanish are already heading in that direction," she said with a mischievous smile. "How long do you think it will take the French to find out?"
Henry VII swallowed, clearly already wavering.
"So, what you're suggesting is... to divide up the colonial territories with a few other nations in advance?"
"And to establish the rules of the game," Hedy said flatly. "If anyone uses underhanded means, they automatically forfeit all rights and are out of the game."
The man took a deep breath, clearly having gained a completely new perspective on the matter. "You are indeed very clever."
With this plan, they could avoid war entirely. Each nation could settle in the new continent in stages, carving out the territory they desired.
Then, they would wait for the rule-breakers to emerge—anyone attempting to exploit loopholes or claim something they weren't meant to would essentially make themselves a target for everyone.
At that point, an excuse for war would be ready and waiting.
"The best part is... you didn’t let the Spanish or the French know about this," he stared at the Medici, "At the very beginning of the game, two players are already exiled."
The Five-Nation Alliance would establish the rules in advance and then work together to exclude them.
And Spain had no idea about it.
"After all, that queen also enjoys her tea," Hedy smiled. "Let her enjoy herself at home."
As time passed, all five heads of state managed to arrive.
In fact, this was largely thanks to Henry VII.
Everyone saw how advantageous it was for England to establish relations with Italy.
Nearly every month, fleets sailed from Genoa to London, not only bringing cheap and high-quality fabrics and dairy products but also boosting the economy of the ports on both sides.
Moreover, they heard that Italy was providing economic support to England in areas like technology. England had caught the wave of learning Italian, and more and more young women were marrying wealthy and charming Italian merchants.
Their navy now boasted similar powerful guns, and even the formulation and execution of policies seemed much clearer and more decisive.
Who wouldn't want to reap the same benefits?
Once the heads of the five nations had gathered, Florence launched into another round of carnival parades and theatrical performances. The enthusiastic citizens spared no effort in showcasing the city’s advancement and prosperity. The novelty of the food and wine made it so that no one wanted to leave.
Once the guests had eaten and drunk their fill, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Navy jointly walked to the conference hall to present them with an even bigger "slice of cake"—the Americas.
This news, once revealed, was like a shot of adrenaline to all the monarchs.
Their ancestors had lived on this ancient continent for nearly a thousand years and had never heard of another land that was asrich and vast as this one!
