"So," said Leo X, "are they finally vigilant?" ”

"Yes," Giulio held up the elegant white porcelain cup, the vermilion tea in the cup rippled like fish scales in the soft light of the morning light, to be honest, the tea leaves in the papal cup of Rome could not be compared with the cup of the Sultan of Istanbul for the time being, but for ordinary people, these expensive leaves as gold were already unimaginable gifts in their sleep, and the fragrance they emitted permeated the room, and the mist that rose was more like the light veil of heaven" I thought I could hold on for a while - it seems that there are still a lot of smart people. ”

"Because your congregation is digging their corners." Leo X said: "If it were only the nobles and the royal family, it would be fine, but you are plotting to take what they have not yet gotten their hands on." ”

"But if we don't get them into our hands first, they will become weapons against us," Giulio said, putting down his glass: "The royal power and the clergy, supporting each other and tilting each other, can never get along in peace—but those archdukes and kings, if they want to shake the current church, it is not enough to rely on the previous nobles, because they are too close to us - everyone knows that the eldest son of the nobles inherits the family business, the second son becomes a knight, and the younger son needs to enter the church......"

Leo X showed an incredulous expression, he raised his head and thought for a moment, but his face was still bewildered: "So they want to attack us with those lowly civilians?" God," he stretched out his hand and drew a cross on his chest: "But what can those mobs do?" Occupy the Vatican? Let their archbishop come and be the pope? ”

"Maybe a new church will be erected again." Julio said with a grin.

Leo X knocked over his teacup with a thud.

"May the Lord forgive you," said Leo X angrily, "it must have been the devil who plucked your tongue that you uttered such nonsense," how is it possible to erect a new church? "Who will recognize them? Who wants to be this sinner? ”

"But it's not impossible," Giulio said frankly, "remember the three heads of the dragon?" ”

Leo X immediately pursed his lips, not even the most incompetent and stupid clergyman, who could forget the shameful juxtaposition of the three popes, "but there was still only one church at that time. The Pope stubbornly said that it was just that they accused each other of not being orthodox.

"So that's what worries me the most," said Giulio, still calm and slow, "if they can make those people not want to believe in us anymore, they can set up a new church, and as for who will be the sinner, I think any archduke or king is willing, after all, it is the emperor of the whole Christian world." He paused: "Do you want me to lift a chestnut?" My brother, my father, like Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire, wanted to compete for the Pope, but sadly, the war between Lovere and Borgia was raging at the time, and he had no deep roots in the Church, so he had to give up. ”

"I still can't believe it." Leo X said. He looked up and looked around, out the window, this was the Vatican, it was the Church, it was the center of Christendom, and St. Peter's Mausoleum was at their feet, how could anyone want to erect a new Church somewhere outside of here? How can it be recognized?

"Do you know how much the church earns in England alone?" Giulio followed him and looked out the window, although Leo X gave him a lot of cause and support, but he obviously did not realize the importance and urgency of the whole thing - he was just a happy pope, willing to give his dear brother power and money, like every pope before him, but to tell him that there would come a day when the believers would abandon the present church, the pope, the clergy, he did not want to believe anything.

"In England we have two archbishoprics, Canterbury and York, and together we have one bishopric, and innumerable dioceses, and monasteries and congregations scattered all over it, and they occupy a third of the land of England, and collect tithes from all men equal to one-tenth of all income, and every priest has a salary, and a pension, and an assistant's money, and an annuity, and a secretarial fee...... And so on, the clergy have judicial privileges, and our courts hear all kinds of cases – marriage, inheritance, disputes, heresies, all within their jurisdiction, and of course, these are subject to large fees.

In addition, the seven sacraments of the Church are also subject to a lot of rewards, and numerous religious festivals, pilgrimages in holy places, holy relics and indulgences are also good ways for the Church to collect money—since Henry VIII ascended the throne, we have received no less than hundreds of thousands of gold florins from England. “

"Are there so many?"

"Schools, congregations, and your St. Peter's Basilica." Giulio said, "Is it because of this that the church still stands?" ”

"My messenger says that Henry VIII also intended to exchange these for the position of archbishop."

"Do you give it to him?"

"Not really," said Leo X, "he was not a man of sufficient piety. ”

"This brings us to the second problem, even a man like Juana I can become callous when it comes to political issues, let alone Henry VIII – and it is our laws that displease the Grand Dukes and Kings compared to the Golden Florin – we govern the flock of God, but the rulers do not consider themselves worthy of our rule, much less want to see his people submit to the feet of the Pope."

"But if they don't have us, how can they control and manage these fools?"

"So, a new church." "I have seen some ominous signs, especially for the new aristocracy and businessmen," said Giulio...... In fact, it was already surprising to me that it came out so late. ”

"Do you expect it to come sooner?"

"It's not something I wish I wanted to do, but if you ask me when I became aware of it, it was probably my holy father, Pius III, when he was still alive, and he asked me how I could revive this decaying Church, and I replied to him - to rebuild one."

"God forbid!" Leo X's eyes widened and he shouted involuntarily.

"I never thought I was the wisest one, and since I could think of it, and others could think of it, and if you asked me who would be this sinner, then I could tell you that if I were Henry VIII, I would canonize myself as pope of the new church." Wouldn't it be better to have all the royal power and ecclesiastical power in our hands, and to compete with the church year after year for the right to appoint clergy?

"How is it possible, no one will want to admit him."

"Can he threaten with force, tempt with profit, oppress with power, not to mention that he can still believe in the same God, the children of Christ who were taken by the Ottoman Turks, who died for their faith? Not only did they convert, but they also fought for the true gods of the Ottoman Turks, slashing their swords at their former people. Giulio remembered what he had seen in Istanbul: "It may have taken a few bloody wars, or thousands of deaths, but it was a worthwhile deal for the king, because henceforth he would no longer have to be bound by the Church, and could even turn against the Lord." ”

"I'm not going to allow that to happen."

"Neither will I." "I promised my teacher, and I promised you," said Giulio, "so," he stood up, "from this day on, you have to be more serious, Holy Father, and we are going to start fighting." ”

Leo X closed his eyes, to be honest, he was not a brave man, he lacked strategy and wisdom, and he was a little slow to react, but he was indeed kind and tolerant, but he was now a pope, and he loved the church just as much. The Medici, on the other hand, became a priest as a child, and he had stayed in Rome much longer than he had in Florence, which had become his second home.

"I am a man who longs for peace." Finally, Leo X said in frustration: "But it always backfires." ”

"Maybe you'll see." Julio looked down at his belly, "Although, you have to see your own feet first." When he was in Rome, he oversaw Leo X's dining campaign, but as soon as he left Rome, Leo X was revealed to do whatever he wanted—and the venerable Father, seeing him set his eyes on his belly, lest he be forced to be a wretched rabbit, immediately managed to change the subject: "Alright, alright, for the sake of the saints, shall we talk about something light?" Even if there is a thunderbolt from the sky, or the end of the world comes early, it will not be a matter of a moment, my dear brother, you have been on a 'pilgrimage' for several months, and this place has changed a lot, I will take you to see it. ”

Giulio couldn't help but smile slightly, it was normal for Leo X to be uncomfortable with such a heavy topic, but as the Holy Father said, the ominous omen was certainly sleepless, but it was not the first time they had faced a terrible enemy, "I know that you have hired many painters and stonemasons to renovate and expand St. Peter's Basilica......"

"Yes, Leonardo, Raphael, Baggio, Benvenuto, and that Michelangelo......"

When they walked out of the room, the sun was shining, but Leo X could not help but grasp the short white cloak on his body, and Giulio's words pierced his heart like a cold sword, and in front of such a blunt warning, no amount of perfunctory and prevarication, pretending to be confused, became a joke, and he could not help praying to God that what he had done for God's dwelling place on earth would be pleased, and thus bless him, his family, and his church.

Although the cardinals with a keen sense of smell had arrived at the Vatican Palace, only a few or three people were finally allowed to serve the Holy Father, but no matter when or where, as long as Giulio and Medici were there, he was always closest to the Pope, and sometimes, Leo X would walk with him by the hand, and everyone else could not help but be jealous, but there was nothing to do.

Leo X did not like Michelangelo, so he took Giulio first to his Grand Signing Room, where the frescoes were given to Raphael. Sansi, when they got there, Raphael had already done part of the work, and it was four goddesses depicted in golden oval borders, "Theology", "Philosophy", "Poetics" and "Law", and their fingers pointed gracefully at the four walls that had been drafted, because on these walls there would be corresponding scenes to be painted, and those four scenes, even if they were only faint lines on the gray and white walls, were enough to make the heart soothed, and Raphael had a spirit peculiar to a young genius, Proudly and respectfully welcomed them into the hall, explained his ideas in detail to the Pope and the cardinals, and carefully wrote them down in the little notebook he carried with him when they gave their opinions.

It's not the first time Giulio has met Raphael. Sancy, who was a disciple of Pinturicio when they first met, and was not yet allowed to do an important work on his own, now that he had gained the favor of Pope Leo X, even the painters much older than him were to obey him—and he, in addition to his great talents, had a handsome countenance—dark blonde curls that hung down below the shoulders, a black four-cornered hat, and a tunic of the same color but embroidered with gold lace, and from the neckline of the tune, Lace as delicate as the petals of a lily stretched out, and his voice sounded like a nightingale, and seemed to conform to a certain rhythm, which surprised Giulio, for this pleasant tone was often mastered by musicians or frivolous nobles.

Raphael. Sansi was unsurprisingly appreciated by everyone present," the people said. Leo X whispered in Giulio's ear: "His disposition and countenance are like those of the Virgin whom he painted, and he is very good at drawing people, and I have made up my mind, and when he is done with this work, let him paint my portrait and that of you." ”

"You know I don't like this." Giulio also whispered.

"With me," insisted Leo X, "we don't have a portrait of ourselves together, and if you really don't like it, then I can add a person to the picture, so that people don't pay much attention to you." ”

Julio finally shook his head and let him go. He also noticed that Raphael, who had been by his side, also heard the Pope's words, and judging from his expression, he really wanted to paint Julio, yes, everyone wanted to paint, but he was very cautious, not to mention asking, and even his demeanor did not indicate any transgression.

This reminded Giulio of Michelangelo, who wanted to hug his legs in the prison in Florence at the time, and he knew that Michelangelo was busy painting the frescoes above the Sistine Chapel, so he asked, but the Father's entourage said that Michelangelo had obscured all the images he was responsible for, saying that no one was allowed to watch it until it was finished—not even the Pope, but Leo X really had no interest in supervising his work.

"Oh, you go and tell him, it's my request." Giulio said.

The retinue soon went and returned, and he said that Michelangelo had heard that it was Giulio. Cardinal Medici's request was immediately and obediently obeyed.

"He's still so afraid of you." Leo X sighed.

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