38. Is this my sister’s mistress? (Happy New Year's Day!)
In fact, the travelers who are able to collect wealth worth 3.8 billion yen from the current Roman city are thanks to the fact that this place is a historical ancient capital that has carried the glory of the Romans for thousands of years. It can be relatively easy. Get some antiques from Greco-Roman civilization, such as those of emperors and goddesses Marble statues, relief panels, and even the "Trajan Column" in the square were dismantled and taken away by the time-travelers... But the problem is, not to mention that there are far more fakes in these antiques than genuine ones. Just like modern tourists always buy oracle bone souvenirs baked in a microwave oven in Anyang, Henan. Even if they are genuine goods, the pawn prices identified by the [Automatic Pawn Machine] for these antiques are all super cheap!
For example, for the "Trajan Column" which is thirty-eight meters high, four meters in diameter, and covered with exquisite war reliefs, the [automatic pawn machine] only gave over 150 million yen. Low price... The original cost of Emperor Trajan's construction of the Gongzhu was more than this amount, okay!
As for other smaller or more severely damaged ancient Roman statues, murals and relief panels, the valuations given by the [automatic pawn machine] are even more disastrous. Moreover, at this time in 1348 AD, after all, nearly nine hundred years had passed since the collapse of the Roman Empire. The remaining ancient cultural relics in the city of Rome had been constantly being lost. Some were purchased or plundered by the arty Western European dignitaries, and some were It was regarded as an evil relic of a heretical god, and was destroyed by fanatical Christians... so the cultural relics ultimately recovered were not as many as expected.
"...In fact, in order to help us raise funds, the church has really tried its best to scrape the land, even bringing over the ancient Roman statues decorated on the nearby papal tombs." Paladin Levi said. The revelation immediately aroused a look of astonishment.
"...Huh?" Ma Tong blinked in disbelief, "...You even dare to dig up the Pope's tomb? What a shame!"
——Hey, among all the people here, I'm afraid you are the only one who is the black-hearted Lily Slut who is least qualified to say that others lack moral integrity.
"...The coffin was not dug out, but the decorations on the surface were just appropriated. What's more, those statues were originally stolen from ancient temples and even Roman-era tombs. It is normal for them to be demolished again now. "Levi explained with a shrug.
All in all, no matter how you look at it, the oil and water in the city of Rome has been drained, and the nearby satellite towns and monasteries have also sent as many offerings as possible. If you want to extract more oil and water from the territory of the Papal State without resorting to violent plunder, then the only option is to attack the farmers in nearby villages... And all the time travelers are extremely pessimistic about this. manner.
——No matter how you look at it, the life of European farmers in the Middle Ages was very difficult and difficult. They live in dilapidated thatched huts, sleep with pigs and goats, work at sunrise and rest at sunset. They often don't have enough to eat, and may never be willing to make new clothes in their lifetime. Even if you finally have some spare money, it will be plundered by the church and lords under various unimaginable names, and this is true no matter which country you are in.
In addition to heavy labor, these farmers also had to meet the demanding requirements of their lords, and often endured poverty and plague. When war broke out, peasants had to join the lord's army to fight. At that time, there were countless attacks and criticisms between the princes, and wars were frequent. If the situation of free people is like this, the situation of serfs can be imagined. At that time, more than two-thirds of the rural population belonged to the serf class without freedom! It is said that farmers at that time were considered "longevity" if they lived to the age of forty, and it was considered rare to live to the age of fifty. It can be said that "life is rare in the past fifty years." Heavy labor and insufficient nutrition led to widespread stunting of people. The average height of farmers at that time was only about 1.5 meters...
In general, in medieval Europe, there were few rich peasants in the true sense, and few middle classes in the modern sense. The gap between rich and poor in the entire society has reached an extreme, and the extremely limited wealth is gathered in cities, castles, churches and monasteries - after these places have been squeezed clean, even the most greedy people will not be able to squeeze any more from the peasants. What to bring out: They are already very poor and have nothing at ordinary times.
Fortunately, there is not only one city of Rome in Italy. During the Renaissance and modern times, the northern Italian city-states north of Rome were the real gathering places of wealth, and they were also the places where travelers who had become "destroyers of monuments" in Rome , the scheduled next key search target.
"... From this point of view, there is no potential to be explored in Rome for the time being. Fortunately, Venice, Florence, and Genoa in the north seem to be richer. Our goal is to collect at least one hundred people from these places. Billions of yen! Of course, the more, the better!”
Doraemon concluded the fundraising meeting, waving a stubby stick and pointing at the map of Italy hanging on the wall. The travelers who also lacked moral integrity responded with a bang. Only Li Wei was still muttering secretly: "Isn't the goal to save as many people there as possible?"
Next, Pope Clement VI naturally agreed with both hands and feet that these "appetite" angels were willing to leave Rome to save and plunder other cities - he knew from the beginning that even if he drained the entire The wealth of the Papal State may not be able to collect as many gold coins as the angels want. However, given that the situation in the Papal States has not yet been completely stabilized, and patients are coming to seek help one after another, Clement VI hopes to leave one or two angels to help the Holy See calm down the situation, or simply use the "divine magic" to treat diseases. The priests imparted to the Church...
Unfortunately, the Pope's two above-mentioned requirements have not been met - firstly, travelers are generally unwilling to disperse in two places, lest they be unable to escape in an emergency when danger arises; secondly, after all the preparations have been made, Before Laa Meng needs a huge sum of money, they don't dare to easily leak the spells in the [Magic Encyclopedia Dictionary] to outsiders... Then you will be able to cure diseases and eliminate disasters yourself, how can we collect money?
Of course, in view of the fact that the Pope has been working hard and cooperating with the search very hard in recent times, Doraemon still left the [Random Door] connecting Avignon and Rome as a substitute, so that church members can take patients at any time. Move from Rome to Avignon and wait until the time travelers are free to come to the rescue. Doraemon took out another random door to go from Avignon, France to Florence.
On this salvation (blackmail) trip to Florence, Her Majesty Queen Joanna of Naples volunteered, claiming that she was familiar with the upper class society in Florence and could serve as the angels' guide and introducer. She just asked the angels to help her solve the problem. A "little trouble" - like the Wall Street bankers of the future in the United States, controlling many third-generation Just like the finance of world countries, as a "backward country" in this era, the finances of the Kingdom of Naples have always relied on the support of the Florentine financial community. Over the years, it has owed an unknown amount of debt at a growing rate... In view of the fact that the Kingdom of Naples is now continuously There are very few living people left in this sad situation. Even if Her Majesty the Queen sacrifices her life to sell her flesh, she can no longer repay this debt.
Hearing that the young queen was in huge debt just like him, Doraemon, who shared the same problem, was deeply saddened, and immediately bought her with a huge package. Wang Qiu also came together to "comfort" Queen Joanna, saying that the Black Death epidemic in Florence was not much better than that in Naples, and the bankers who had lent money to the Naples royal family were probably dead as well. If these bankers are really lucky enough to survive, the angels will "well" persuade them to be merciful and not to compare old accounts with Queen Joanna, who is favored by God.
Even if some of the bankers have granite heads and refuse to listen to the angels' advice to reduce the debt of the Kingdom of Naples, and are addicted to the dirty world and are unwilling to ascend to heaven and enter the paradise world, the angels will let them quickly receive the Lord. Those who call and go to heaven to enjoy happiness are just like the way the British immigrants on the "Mayflower" immigrant ship that founded the United States "thanked" the Indians who entertained them...
——Well, with the loss of all kinds of moral integrity, now the hearts of these time-travelers are all black.
Next, the [Random Door] leading to Florence was finally slowly pushed open by Doraemon's Dango palm.
Then, the first time she stepped into the city of Florence, Queen Joanna was very surprised to meet an unexpected acquaintance...
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Northern Italy, Tuscany region, city of Florence
During the Renaissance, the city-states of Northern Italy were pioneers throughout Europe. It has the highest degree of urbanization in Europe, the most prosperous urban agglomeration in Europe, the earliest sprout of capitalism in human history, the earliest modern diplomacy, finance, science and technology and maritime trade, as well as the earliest humanism. Art and literature gave birth to the crystallization of wisdom that would make Europeans proud of the world in the future.
Among these Italian city-states that are as bright as morning stars, Florence, a city translated by Xu Zhimo as "Emerald Cold Green", is the most artistic among them. It was also the European cultural center of this era and the birthplace of the European Renaissance - Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Galileo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Machiavelli (Author of "The Prince")...This series of famous and world-renowned romantic figures all have a deep connection with the city of Florence.
——If Silicon Valley in the United States symbolizes the information age, then Florence is where the essence of the Renaissance gathers.
It was not until the rise of Paris, the capital of flowers, and French romantic art in modern times that Florence gradually lost its crown as the "Art Capital of the World."
In addition to being a historic art capital, Florence is also a famous financial center, the Wall Street of the Renaissance. The Medici family, which has ruled the city for a long time, is known as the most powerful banker in the Renaissance era, and no future Rothschild family can compare with it.
However, at this moment in the early summer of 1348, Florence, like all cities in Italy, was shrouded in the haze of the Black Death.
——Unlike those cities that were shocked until death was imminent, the Florence city authorities received news of the plague last year and knew that the plague was approaching them step by step, but they were still helpless and couldn't do anything: the city. People have been sent to clean up every dirty place in the city, orders prohibiting patients from entering the city have been issued, and devout believers have prayed to God again and again... but the Black Death is still coming!
In an instant, the bells of bustling Florence were ringing, corpses were piled up, and ten houses were empty. People were panicked, rumors were flying, and trade was cut off. A shocking and terrifying scene appeared everywhere, as if the end of the world had arrived... Faced with the epidemic that devoured the city in an instant , the rich people loaded their property onto the carriage one after another, The whole family fled to the countryside; the poor could only stay in their shabby huts, desperately waiting for death to come; the doctors were thinking about all kinds of whimsical treatments, but they couldn't even cure themselves; the devout believers were dying day after day. He prayed like crazy every night, and before he even got sick, he had already gone insane. And the literati picked up their quills in this miserable atmosphere of despair...
In Europe in the fourteenth century, there were three cultural superstars, known to later generations as the "Three Masters of the Renaissance." They were Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, and they all happened to be Florentines.
When the Black Death came, Dante, who wrote "The Divine Comedy" and suffered a lifetime of bitter hatred, was already dead. Petrarch, the "Father of the Renaissance" who had won the laurel, was involved in the coup of the Roman Republic last year. Now he is He is in exile and his whereabouts are unknown. Only Giovanni has the most gossipy personality and loves street jokes. Boccaccio still stayed in this city filled with corpses, and tried to use the quill in his hand to leave a record of this living hell - of course, Boccaccio had not yet started writing at this time. His "Decameron", which will go down in history, was just a vague idea in his mind. His current reputation in the literary world is supported by various erotic poems and pornography. He is mainly famous for his bold scale... In other words, this guy is a guy who specializes in writing pornographic books and pornography. ♂Joker, he also held public office in the Florentine government.
In a dusty study in the Florence Town Hall, Giovanni, an incompetent financial official and an outstanding erotic literature writer. Boccaccio was lying on a table with a haggard expression, writing furiously using official stationery:
"...This is a world of disaster that is dying day by day. This is an era of darkness and sorrow. The invisible disease has engulfed every country. Howling storms are attacking the barren coast. Crazy robbers and bandits are pouring out of the wilderness. Go out, pillage and slaughter our towns
Merchant ships and trade disappeared from the seas, and all law and order became lost in the face of death.
God has forgotten the people of Italy, and the orderly old world we are familiar with has come to an end without warning.
Those noble souls who were born with glory had to start struggling for survival. The precarious and short life makes the rich no longer have any long-term plans, they just want to enjoy themselves in time and squander the wealth they have accumulated throughout their lives; the ignorant poor are walking towards death step by step in ignorance, poverty and fear... Old The years have ended, a new era is beginning, and everyone must learn to survive in this new era. For this ruined land is our home and the terrible new world we must face..."
As he wrote this, he suddenly stopped writing and frowned, not knowing how to continue.
After reading the written text again, Boccaccio still couldn't find the idea. He had to put down the quill, stood up, spread out the paper, grabbed a handful of dry fine sand from the sand jar next to the desk, and carefully put it on the paper. Sprinkle a layer on the paper and let it absorb the ink on the paper. Then he opened his mouth to blow away the fine sand, and finally rolled up the paper and carefully put it into a delicate wooden box.
After finishing writing for the time being, he sighed and stretched, turned around and looked outside through the window of his study. The scene on the street seemed to be still the same, but the noisy stalls and vendors of the past had disappeared, and even the beggars were gone. Can't find one.
Within the field of vision, there were only extremely dirty streets, abandoned houses with open doors and windows, a handful of slovenly men leaning against the walls waiting to die, and countless bones that were carelessly discarded, making this city baptized by the plague , appears more empty and desolate.
He still vaguely remembered that earlier, before the collapse of the city hall and the church, there were corpse collection carts going back and forth on the streets, transporting large quantities of corpses to various churches in the city, and then Some long and wide deep pits were dug there, and hundreds of corpses were buried there, just like the cargo in the cabin. Although there was no sense of mourning, at least the minimum dignity was maintained. .
But now, even the corpse collection teams organized by the government have all died of the disease. The dead people can only rot and stink in the streets and homes, but no one is willing to clean them up, lest they themselves will also be infected by the plague. What’s even scarier is that there are some half-human, half-ghost things wandering the streets of Florence. They call themselves foundation diggers, deal with dead bodies every day, and no longer care about their own life or death. They wandered around the cemetery like vultures during the day, and turned into devils at night—at first they were just stealing, but later they became a group of crazy demons. These gravediggers often arrive in groups, bursting into random homes and demanding large sums of money. If you can't pay, use women to compensate!
These lawless atrocities often succeed during this special period. Because they are not afraid of death and have the ability to spread plague. Everyone is afraid of them. And the municipality of Florence was already in disintegration. So, sometimes they extorted money, sometimes they raped women... This catastrophe turned some living people into dead people, and some living people into devils. Some disasters bring people together, but not the Black Death. It belongs to another category of disasters, the kind that only unleash the evil in the human heart and make people darker and alienated.
Hey, staying in this living hell, watching everything familiar gradually being swallowed up by carrion and darkness, is a kind of torture almost every day!
Next, he felt hungry.
——At this time, the order of the city had long been broken down. No shop selling bread and pastries dared to open its doors. Many citizens' livelihoods were in trouble, but this did not stop Boccaccio, who had been prepared for it. On the eve of the final collapse of the Florence municipal government, Boccaccio, who had already foreseen the disaster, used the last power at hand to use public funds to secretly hoard a large amount of bread, biscuits, bacon and wine in the cellar of the city hall, enough for him to eat and drink for a whole day. More than a year. If nothing unexpected happens, I can probably survive this catastrophe.
However, just as he was humming a tune in amusement and walking downstairs, shaking the key, he stopped at the door of the hall in astonishment.
Because, he was originally alone in the Florence City Hall, but a group of uninvited guests suddenly broke into it.
What made Boccaccio even more confused was what kind of incredible group of uninvited guests they were! ! !
——Several suspected "angels" with wings on their backs, several priests and nuns in cassocks, several knights in bright armor, and a young lady wearing a luxurious purple dress who looks familiar? What kind of strange combination is this?
Even if it happened that I had falsified accounts and embezzled public funds, there would be no need for such a group of strange guys to come and examine me!
What's more, nowadays, everyone is living today and doesn't know if there will be a tomorrow. Who else can care about such a trivial matter!
In an instant, Boccaccio's mind was spinning in confusion, and he stood on the stairs speechless, not knowing what to do.
At the same time, the lady in the purple dress looked up at him for a while, but she seemed to recognize Boccaccio's identity, "...I didn't expect there were still living people in the Florence City Hall...Eh? Why is it you? You’re not dead yet?”
"...Huh? Is this guy an acquaintance of yours? Her Majesty the Queen?" an "angel" with wings on his back asked curiously.
Then, Boccaccio heard the lady in a purple dress say a thunderous introduction to the "angel":
"...Well, yes, Lord Angel, this guy was once the mistress of one of my sisters, and he was very good at writing all kinds of obscene poems..."
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※PS: On the last day of 2014, I wish everyone a fruitful year and a happy new year! Please also continue to support Lao Lao Wang Meow! Please also continue to support Lao Lao Wang Meow! Because it’s important, I say meow twice!