The sudden arrest of Florence's treasurer, Midino, sent the city into a panic.

The political turmoil over the past few days has exhausted many Florentines who do not know when they or their families will fall victim to the turmoil, and some are already considering whether to leave the dangerous city for a while, at least to take refuge in the countryside for a while.

Ron Zor Sabatini stood in the doorway and looked at Machiavelli as he walked into the compound, he didn't know much about this new neighbor, Sabatini only knew that this person was a former Florentine official, and now he seemed to be looking for someone to go through and prepare to get a new job.

Seeing Machiavelli walking lightly, Sabatini looked at the two soldiers standing far behind him at the gate of the courtyard.

"So you've got a good job?" Sabatini asked, if a person is not being escorted by the soldiers who follow him these days, it means that this person must be a big man, and looking at Machiavelli's unconcealed pride, Sabatini guessed the reason: "It seems that you are moving away, and I am left alone." ”

"No, young man, you are not alone," Machiavelli closed the door as soon as he entered the room, and he looked out of the window a little mysteriously to make sure that the two soldiers were standing in the distance and were not moving, and then he lowered his voice and said, "Listen I need your help, and now I can only trust you, because you were introduced by James Columbus." ”

"So what?" Sabatini looked at Machiavelli with wary eyes, because he didn't know why he suddenly said this, Sabatini was a little nervous, "You lived with me because of James introduced, what you want to do has nothing to do with me." ”

"You're cautious, young man, but it's useless, James has written everything you did in Florence in a letter, and I don't know what the Florentine officials did you any good at."

Sabatini had anger on his face, and he felt threatened: "Who are you going to do what, I haven't done anything to be sorry for others, are you going to threaten me?" ”

"Don't be nervous young man," Machiavelli shrugged, "I didn't threaten you, on the contrary I intended to help you, James Columbus said a lot about you, especially that he liked you very much, so he recommended you." ”

"Recommend me, what?" Sabatini asked nervously.

"Listen to the fact that you used to do things for James before, and now I want you to do things for me," Machiavelli smiled, "don't worry, I won't let you do some very dangerous work, and if then I'll be worried that you might get caught and tell me, I want you to send me some letters sometimes, not very far, and I'll pay you too." ”

"You have an entourage, why do you want me to do this." Sabatini asked warily, he had a hunch that things would not be so simple, the man in front of him made him faintly afraid, and by now he had realized that James Columbus might not be just a shrewd businessman.

"You probably didn't know I was promoted," Machiavelli couldn't hide a smug smile, "but it's also a bit troublesome, especially in Florence now, I don't know if anyone will be eyeing me, so it may be a little inconvenient to send my own retinue." ”

Sabatini looked at Machiavelli, who had noticed that Machiavelli had changed into a dark red robe, a style worn by high-ranking officials in the government, but more importantly the two soldiers he had brought.

"You probably don't know that Midino, the treasurer, has been arrested on charges of treason," Machiavelli looked out the window again, "I don't know if he did the things he was accused of, but I was involved in the arrest of him today, but you should also know what Florence is like now, and my current status has become less convenient, so I want you to do me a favor, trust me and I won't harm you." ”

"Is it someone James knows?" Sabatini asked hesitantly, knowing that he was still being blackmailed by the Florentine man in front of him, as Machiavelli said, if the Florentine government knew that he had worked for James before, those people would not let him go.

"It's some friends we all have in common." Machiavelli said cautiously, he was actually very worried, but he was suddenly arranged to follow the political secretary to arrest Midino before the action made him unexpectedly become the second secretary of the government department, although this promotion made Machiavelli overjoyed, but he also knew that he had naturally attracted the attention of many people.

"James is a good friend, although I have never met him, but this does not hinder my friendship with him," seeing Sabatini's skeptical face, Machiavelli smiled bitterly, "I know you think this is a bit ridiculous, but here's the thing, James is in the service of a certain adult, and although I am different from him, I have a deep relationship with that adult, so we can also be said to be friends." ”

Sabatini blinked in confusion, the young apprentice from Bologna was puzzled by everything around him, except for James Columbus and Machiavelli in front of him, who was confused about the whole city.

"I can also find you an errand, if you want to stay in the city, you have to make a living, the best way now is to serve the Florentine government, there is a shortage of people in many places, this is enough for you to support yourself and have extra expenses for your education."

Machiavelli's persuasion seemed to work, and Sabatini, who had been wary, slowly sat down and began to ponder the neighbor's suggestion.

"Believe me, young man, there won't be many opportunities like this, Florenceians are very proud, if it weren't for the current situation, they wouldn't easily accept outsiders, let alone allow outsiders to work in the government, but now it's different, just like that Midino, people are starting to distrust old Florentines, especially those whose family history is longer, the worse it is." Machiavelli said with a mocking smile, "Believe me, this suspicion will soon spread to every corner of the city, and then it will be a foreigner like you who is safest." ”

Sabatini looked at Machiavelli in a daze, he always felt that something was not quite right, but he couldn't say what was wrong, but the Florentine words did move him, thinking about the pursuit of great art that had always been difficult to give up, Sabatini felt that Machiavelli's advice seemed to be good.

While Machiavelli was busy setting up his "Florentine Intelligence Station", Sazi met Midino, who had been imprisoned for the night, in a room in the city hall.

Midino's spirit was a little decadent, and when he saw Sazi, he raised his head with a little effort, revealing the scars on his face.

"It's a pity, but I think you should know that," Sazi said, sitting across from Midino, "you're going to be sentenced to death for treason, and for conspiracy to collude with the Medici family in an attempt to restore you." ”

"But you know I've been wronged, right," asked Midino, his face shaking as he tore at the scars, "or is this the charge you've fabricated against me?" ”

"Midino, you know very well what is going on," Sazi shook his head a little impatiently, "You rejected the Pope's conditions This is a big mistake, we need the support of the Vatican now, otherwise our situation will become very dangerous, if it was before, maybe we could have quarreled in the council, but now there is no time to convince you, if the current crisis cannot be resolved, maybe the Medici family may really have a chance, you must know that Giovanni de Medici is now in Pisa......"

Sazi stopped suddenly, his eyes fixed on Medino's face, his hands clenched hard and then released.

"You're colluding with Medici, you've been doing it all along, haven't you?" Sazi stared at the smiling Midino and asked, "You just want us and the Vatican to be enemies, so that Medici can have a chance to get help from the Pope." ”

Midino smiled noncommittally, he never thought that he would be suddenly arrested at this time, although he knew that Sazi's accusations were completely fabricated out of thin air, but the final result was that he faced the right trial.

"It was God's arrangement, and even though we used dishonorable means, we still achieved the right end."

"But that doesn't hide your meanness," said Midious, smiling sarcastically, "it is indeed God's arrangement, and I have been lucky enough to avoid danger so many times that it makes me think that I am favored by God, and now I know that I have failed." ”

Looking at the self-deprecating look on Mityno's face, Sazi no longer had any joy of victory in his heart, and he didn't even bother to listen to Medino's words anymore, and immediately turned around and walked out of the room in a hurry.

"Where is that Mahima," Sazi asked anxiously to the people around him.

"In the monastery of San Marco, where the monks are preaching."

"I'm going to see the monk at once," Sazi looked gloomy, he didn't expect that Midino was actually in cahoots with Medici, remembering that now Giovanni de Medici was like a beast staring at his prey, peering at Florence in Pisa, Sazi could no longer calm down.

"You don't want to see the bishop?" The attendant asked a little strangely, although I heard that the monk seemed to be quite appreciated by the Pope, but it was obvious that the bishop should be the head of the papal envoy this time, so when he heard Sazi's words, the entourage couldn't help but ask.

"If I could impress Medici with my teachings, I would have asked the bishop for help, but for now I would have preferred the Pope's promise and the help of the army of the Count Montina on King's Hill."

Sazi explained impatiently, though not very clearly, that Massimo seemed to be on better terms with Nomerlo, or that the arrival of the two of them was more in line with Alexander VI's true purpose for Florence.

It was true that Massimo was in the monastery of San Marco, but though he had always been bold, he was not so arrogant as to show off his skills in the monastery, so he was not so much preaching as he was reminiscing about a memory of the past that was not so good to him.

"I used to be lazy here, and then I was caught cleaning up the broken leaves of the entire monastery."

"I've drunk there too, but I've been punished for accidentally drinking too much and getting drunk."

"And here, that savonarola had me beaten me five times, just because I had a few words with a woman, but that woman was so nice, and I still remember how enthusiastic she was."

Massimo muttered to himself as he wandered around the monastery, noticing that the monks who passed by hurried past him with panicked expressions, and then when they were far away, they would turn around and look at him with uneasy eyes.

"These people are so annoying," Massimo looked back at the monks who had hurried away at the sight of him turning, and he seemed to see two somewhat familiar faces in them, but they did not attract his attention.

He was now wondering if he wanted to stay.

Becoming the abbot of St. Mark's Monastery was something he had never thought about in advance, or even dreamed of.

In terms of prestige and learning, places like the Convent of San Marco seem to have been custom-built for people like Savonarola.

Only such a person can be qualified for such a prestigious profession.

But now the opportunity presented itself to him, and before he came to Florence, Alexander VI had hinted to him that he must take advantage of it.

"It seems that I will be staying in Florence for a while, but the women here are still so welcoming, but it seems that being an abbot is not as convenient as it used to be."

Massimo pondered in his heart, he knew that Alexander VI wanted him to be the abbot in order to install his order in Florence, and it was obvious that he had always coveted Florence with the death of Savonarola made the Pope think that it was a golden opportunity.

"The Pope's plan is good, but what does the Count want to do?" Mahimo couldn't help but think of the time he had seen Alexander on King's Hill.

"Becoming an abbot is probably the best prospect I can think of," Alexander said to Massimo with a smile at the time, "and I hope that you will become abbot of St. Mark's convent as soon as possible, for I do not want my child to be baptized as a monk of no standing after his birth." ”

Massimo remembered the seriousness with which Alexander said this, and he did not doubt the truth of his words at all.

"Abbot." Massimo looked ahead, his gaze falling on the courtyard behind a low wall in the distance.

A narrow house sat quietly in the corner of the yard, and now the doors and windows of that house had been nailed with wood, and the house looked like a tomb from a distance.

Maybe someone should have the house demolished.

Massimo began to ponder what the first order he had given as the master of the milling cutter, but before he could think of it, a monk hurried towards him.

"God bless you, Brother Mahimo," the monk folded his hands and bowed slightly, "the consul has arrived, and he has asked to be able to meet you, along with His Majesty's secretary of the Pope. ”

Looking at the respectful appearance of the monk in front of him, Massimo suddenly remembered what Alexander had said to him a long time ago: "Follow me, and I can give you the honor and status you never thought of." ”