"How is it possible that Columbus reached the East by sailing west and discovered a new route? It's sheer nonsense!"
"Indeed! The navigation plan he submitted before was full of errors, even underestimating Earth's radius by almost half... How could he possibly reach the East? And he claims to have found India, found Cipangu? It's sheer delusion!..."
"By the Lord's witness! Earth's radius wasn't calculated by him! He used Toscanelli's outdated map. He hasn't even attended school, doesn't count as a scholar, let alone a navigator!..."
"Yes, you're right... But what about that yellow-skinned native?"
"There are yellow-skinned natives on the Canary Islands too! They must have encountered so wild little island, saw a few similar natives, and thought they had reached the East, then brought back a living one... Look at that native's attire, truly a wild man, nothing like the legendary affluent Xipanguans!"
In Sintra Palace, dozens of Portuguese navigation scholars and a dozen court advisors gathered in one place, arguing with flushed faces and gesticulating hands.
"Hmm, the native Columbus brought back does indeed resemble a local from Dog Island. He doesn't understand a word, speaking so strange language... But according to those Castilian sailor's testimonies, they sailed west for over two months, covering at least four to five thousand kiloters... Then suddenly, amidst the vast Great River, they saw many small islands, finally encountering a Great Island, faced oar-sail ships with cannons and bronze weapons from Cipangu, and repelled the enemy... Such consistent testimony seems unlikely to be false!..."
"...This... this... Regardless, by the Lord's witness! I insist that rely sailing west for four to five thousand kiloters is definitely not enough to reach the East! According to repeated calculations by the mariti academy, the correct circumference of Earth should be a whole ten thousand kiloters more than Columbus calculated! The distance from the Canary Islands to the East of Seris must be three tis what Columbus calculated!..."
"You're saying the mariti academy can't be wrong... Columbus's natives are fake, and a dozen Castilian sailors are lying... They have colluded early on and remain steadfast, even deceiving during harsh interrogations?..."
"I... I didn't say that! I only said that according to his navigation plan, he couldn't possibly reach the East, be it India or Cipangu! Who knows what wild Great Island he reached, perhaps a never-before-seen new land..."
"Ha! A never-before-seen new land, a wild New Continent? Hahaha! Esteed scholar, this is truly a poor joke!..."
"Damn it! Bring charcoal! I'll calculate Earth's radius and circumference for you right now!..."
The navigation scholars and advisors argued fiercely, like chaotic croaking frogs, losing their usual composure and grace. In front of the "Eastern news" brought back by Columbus, navigation, geography, and astronomy seed nonexistent. A scholar even directly grabbed charcoal, drawing a map of calculations right on the palace's stone floor.
In the center towards the back of the great hall, King João II of Portugal sat silently on his throne, listening to the scholars' argunts and discussions. He held in his hand a newly transcribed interrogation record, repeatedly flipping through it.
Faced with the Castilian large ships crashing into port and the sudden announcent of a "new route," the Sintra Palace of Portugal operated at unprecedented speed. Matters concerning the new route are of utmost interest to the Royal Family, indeed the entire Kingdom of Portugal!
The Royal Family's inquisitor spared no rcy, conducting overnight interrogations of all twelve sailors on the ship. Except for Columbus and De La Cosa, who held Castilian nobility status and were difficult to torture... the other sailors without status were subjected not only to questioning but to cruel, repeated torture. After two days of continuous interrogations, all the records were directly presented to King Joao II. And all the testimonies and evidence indicated...
"Oh predecessors! These fortunate Castilians really found an archipelago amidst the endless Atlantic Ocean, and even reached a Great Island suspect of Cipangu? We Portuguese, through three generations of predecessor monarchs, have explored the Southern Continent for over half a century, rely touching India's edge, finally bringing back reliable news of the East! For the new route to the East, how much manpower and resources has the Kingdom invested, and how many loyal kingdom's nobility have fallen ill and died during navigation?!..."
"But the Castilians managed it with rely one westward voyage, just once!... Led by an unworldly, unskilled, boastful Genoese captain, they reached the East in just two months, on their first attempt? How ridiculous! It's absolutely impossible! How could they have suddenly reached India and Cipangu?..."
King João II looked at the testimonies in his hand; though outwardly calm, inwardly he was turbulent like raging waves. Columbus had requested an audience outside his palace for nearly ten years, becoming the laughing stock of the entire court, which he naturally knew. In fact, he initially t Columbus personally, and with great interest, listened to his navigation plan!
Yet the Portuguese had been exploring the seas for half a century, their understanding of navigation and the East far surpassing that of any country in the Catholic World. King João II studied at the mariti academy, and he comprehends navigation well, having read all the royal family's nautical records, even personally calculating Earth's radius...
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