Chapter 145 Lord, please forgive me
November 5, 1444 in the imperial calendar.
City of the Holy See.
The fishy sea breeze blew the silk curtains, and the air was filled with the smell of pepper and flowers, mixed with the distant sound of chanting and bells.
Pope Johnny VIII wore a toga and long-sleeved snow-white pajamas, with his bare feet on the blanket, holding on to the window sill and looking at the blue-gray clouds between the sea and the sky.
His limbs were slender and long, but his head and torso looked fat, like a bad snowman with four sticks stuck in a snowball.
The sea breeze blew, causing him to lose his balance. He took a step back, and the attendant behind him immediately held his back.
"Thank you, Sherry." Turning around, holding the attendant's shoulder, Johnny VIII staggered to the dressing table and sat down.
In just a few steps, Johnny VIII was even breathing heavily.
Who would have thought that this old man who looked extremely frail would be the most powerful person in the entire empire?
A mute woman from Zealand with a wheat complexion stepped forward, picked up powder and paint, and began to put makeup on the Pope.
“You don’t actually need to attend today’s royal meeting.” Xie Li stood behind Johnny VIII and said softly.
"In that case, the devil's apostle will say some blasphemous words and curses. I will not allow him to desecrate our temple anymore."
Johnny VIII leaned on On the back of the chair, he stroked the velvet armrest: "That sharp-tongued little man, my tongue will be blasphemed when I say his name."
"Grandiva relies on this scene. meeting to consume your energy." Sherry soaked a fire-marked cherry into purple-blue wine and put the small glass of wine into Johnny VIII's hand.
Johnny VIII picked up the glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp, spitting out the cherry pit. He closed his eyes and waited for a while, and his gray face returned to a bit of rosy.
"Are they discussing things about the 'Saint Sun' this time?"
"Yes." In front of Johnny VIII.
Johnny VIII brought the paper very close and read it slowly.
“Your Majesty, the church’s response to this holy grandson is not a bit excessive.” After weighing the left and right in his mind, Xie Li still said these words, “Now there is a rise in the Kaimu Province to catch short-haired men. Due to the craze, many normal armed farmers and even merchants and citizens were driven bankrupt by the lords.”
"Do I not know?" Johnny VIII threw the agenda aside, "Saint Sun, hum, how is this different from Grandivar's theory of angel reincarnation? It's just that Grandivar has a method It's just the cooperation between the French and the French royal family.
In the case of Qianhe River Valley, why did Grandivar make peace with us? Isn't it just because the stupid farmer made us feel guilty? The more trouble there is,
He is being held up by his previous attitude of demanding severe punishment. It is impossible for him to relax the arrest of short-haired men. He is being grilled on the fire. "
In addition, there is another reason why Johnny VIII is adding fuel to the flames. He can feel the supreme existence and seems to have noticed this "saint grandson".
This made him feel scared. Even Grandiva, who was known as the reincarnation of an angel, failed to attract his attention.
Only successive popes know that He is really looking at the world.
But He doesn’t care about anything.
Only when the Pope takes over and puts on the sacred crown, will you feel a trace of His presence.
This is also the reason why he is sure that Grandivar is a liar, because he failed to provoke any reaction from Him.
If Grandiva could attract the slightest attention of that being, Johnny VIII would not promote him to the Cardinals.
Not being able to withstand the pressure and temptation is what Johnny VIII regrets the most.
He was facing the aftermath of the Windmill War. Without the support of the French priests, he was afraid that he would become the first pope to bankrupt the Holy See City.
But if he could have predicted today's situation, he would not have let Grandiva step into this sacred city even if he lost his face. Johnny VIII stroked his bloated waist and abdomen. When he pressed down, the dimple would hardly return to its original shape.
Grandivar's guess was right, he didn't have much time left.
"Qianhe River Valley is one of the most stable financial resources for our northern church. Catching short hair cannot affect the normal operation of Qianhe River Valley. I ordered them to calm down the price of food."
Xie Li immediately took out his quill pen and wrote on the paper A papal bull was written.
After hundreds of years of management, the power of the native Revlanders [official name of the empire] in the Thousand River Valley gradually retreated to the mountains, while the fertile plains areas were controlled by the church.
Johnny VIII was able to wrest the papacy from the French only by relying on a large number of interest exchanges in Qianhe River Valley.
Among the four plain counties, Hotam County alone has a population of 1.2 million, which can bring dozens of bishops and deans and hundreds of cathedral priest positions to the church.
The income of the church in Hotam County is 100,000 gold pounds every year!
The maid held the powder box and spread lead-containing cosmetic powder on Johnny VIII's face covered with age spots.
"This year's summer taxes in the Thousand River Valley have not been paid yet, and those damn Riverlanders are clamoring for an uprising." Picking up the edict, Johnny VIII coughed, "Although I don't I admire the way Constance dealt with Juano, but his decisive decision bought us a lot of time...Xieli, give me the clothes."
"If the people of Qianhe Valley really revolt. What should I do?" Xie Li took down the Pope's vestments from the hanger nearby.
Exquisite stitches sewed out a dazzlingly complicated secret pattern. The incense burner under the clothes was pouring rich incense into every yarn of the clothes.
"Juano is dead, and the only thing worth worrying about is that little girl."
The Pope stood up and let the maids come forward to tie up his clothes. He said calmly: "We have With Shire here, she can only capture a few mountain counties. As long as the four plain counties are not lost, we won’t have much loss.”
“Can we still get the summer tax from the Thousand River Valley?”< br>
"It's probably not possible. I estimate I can collect half of it this year. In the next three years, even if I want to collect it, I probably won't be able to collect it."
"At this time... "Xie Li sighed softly.
Johnny VIII was silent. He knew clearly that the collapse of the Innocent Dam was due to his transformation.
Those damn nobles and priests, colluding with the envoys he sent, not only failed to transform the Innocent Dam, but even led to the current turmoil in the Thousand River Valley.
In this matter, Grandiva really did nothing.
This would not have affected the overall situation, but the old King of Leia, who supported Johnny VIII, suffered a stroke. Before the new king succeeded to the throne, the people of Leia focused on the possible civil war.
Until the political situation in the Kingdom of Laia is stable, the support he receives from the Laia region will be greatly reduced.
If this continues, the position of pope will really be returned to the French. Even the position of emperor, which has been vacant for thirty years, will also be returned to the French together with it.
Johnny VIII has been busy all his life, and he is about to return to where he started.
"Is it true that the Lord is blessing the French people?" Johnny VIII's words were even a little sad.
"Your Majesty, you must not think like this." Sherry was shocked and patted Johnny VIII's back gently, "If God bless the French people, why should you be The Pope is here to correct the mistake?”
“Xie Li, you have a bright future.” Johnny VIII said with some emotion, “You will definitely get a position as a cardinal. That decree may not come from me.”
Sherry supported Johnny VIII: "You better not say such things."
"I only have three years, or two years." Johnny VIII looked through the window, his eyes almost You have to pass through the walls and mountains and land in Changsong City, the capital of the Kingdom of Leia.
"Lord, please forgive me, I have to gamble."
(End of this chapter)