The Palazzo Picromini was in darkness before dawn, winter had long since left, and spring was drawing to a close, and the grass in the courtyard had faded from the green of goose yellow to a vibrant dark green or turquoise, and even the feathers of the birds had become more showy, and their chirpings were more melodious and loud, but at this time the light was not enough to discern the colours, and the birds were still asleep, but someone hurried by, disturbing them.

Not so unexpectedly, the monk opened the door for Giulio, and Giulio walked in silence to Bishop Picromini's room, along the way, both in the courtyard and in the corridor, there were candles lit by fire, so that he would not fall or panic, without the instructions of the master here, the monks would never dare to waste precious candles like this, and when he thought of this, Giulio's heart could not help but tighten, Cardinal Picromini cherished him so much that even Jacob, who favored his youngest son, was not only Giulio's father, It can also be said that his mother, all the love that Giulio could not get in this life, Cardinal Picromini gave him, as well as his expectations and sustenance, but Giulio had to selfishly abandon and even trample on it because of his love, although he had thought countless times about how to compensate the old man, but he also knew very well that the loss he caused to Cardinal Picromini could not be remedied in terms of profit and money - Cardinal Picromini was old, He couldn't have spent another twenty years raising an heir.

As soon as he pushed the door, it opened, Cardinal Picromini sat at his desk, seemingly sleepless all night, a candle the size of a finger shook a flame the size of a bean, the light was dim, the cardinal's face and body were hidden in the darkness, only the hand with wrinkles and dark spots was illuminated, he heard the sound of his robe rubbing, footsteps, and then the warm touch of his knees and feet—Giulio entered the room and knelt down in front of him, his hands on his knees, his forehead next to the top of his feet, It was an intimate and apologetic gesture, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a confession, Cardinal Picromini sighed. The Medici, who was said to be a gentle and humble man, was known only to know that, in fact, this beautiful flower was born in the soil of darkness and arrogance—his humility was only because most of them were mere dust or cattle to him, and he did not care about them, and certainly did not speak harshly of them, nor was he harsh about them, nor was he harsh on them, nor was he so with money, power, and women, and he clinged to himself only because they were like chicken ribs to him, or rather, he lacked interest in them like a child who did not want them— At the time of Lorenzo's death, Cardinal Picromini considered whether he should let this spiritual child see the devil with his own eyes, but he finally hesitated, as Giulio felt, Picromini not only regarded him as an heir, but also regarded him as his own son, if he were only an heir, Picromini would not mind letting him suffer and suffer, just like a sword always has to be sharpened on rough rock, but if it were his beloved son, even just thinking about it, Cardinal Picromini would feel suffocated.

Unfortunately and fortunately, his beloved disciple, Giulio. The Medici were not the kind of cowardly mediocre people, and after Lorenzo's death, Pierrot. The Medici's actions certainly made him angry and confused for a while, but when Joe brought the bad news, he almost did not hesitate to choose the terrible situation facing the danger.

The matter of Florence, to Cardinal Picromini, may not have been able to do so resolutely and thoughtfully, even in his youth, - Giulio had not yet entered Florence and decided on poor Pierrot. The end of the Medici, his titular brother and Medici parent, whether Pierrot was alive or dead, controlled or on the run, was doomed to become a mad man bewitched by the devil, and only then could his agreement with Charles VIII of France be declared null and void; Later, he and the members of the Council of Seventy in Florence, while secretly gathering the Florentine army and mercenaries, deliberately showed weakness, and asked Charles VIII and his army to enter Florence, divide and paralyze them with mellow wine and plump women, and in the second Florentine peace talks with Charles VIII, his brave deeds laid the foundation for victory. Some may say that this is not a victory, after all, Charles VIII still gained the right to garrison two important cities and a lot of money, but look at it, Charles VIII was finally crushed by the coalition forces, and although he returned to France, almost all the treasures he looted from Naples and Florence were left in the mire of Italy, and those two cities naturally returned to Florentine rule. Cardinal Picromini was well aware that his disciple Giulio had played a significant role in this.

Thinking about it now, perhaps at that time, Giulio realized how close the power of the world was to him, and Pierrot, an arrogant and stupid, short-sighted fool, could become a prince of Florence; Savonarola, an arrogant, ugly, shallow-rooted monk who could also become the ruler of the city - and Giulio did not hesitate to give up cashmere and lanolin oil, two lucrative trades, to breathe new life into Florence and the Medici family, but he did not really want to atone for Pierrot's sins - a child who could make a decision to strangle a plot in the cradle at the age of six would not be so naïve, Cardinal Picromini saw at a glance what he meant, although he was Lorenzo's nominally youngest son, but in fact he was in factThe odds of him eventually becoming a Medici parent are very low, so low that they are close to none. He hadn't considered returning to Florence before, but this crisis between Florence and the Medici undoubtedly gave him a chance, Pierrot's best ending was to die in the convent, and the only male members of the Medici were him, and Joe had a weak, timid child, so why couldn't he become the leader of the Medici? Even though he was still a clergyman, like Alexander VI, he was the Pope and the head of the Borgia family.

But in addition to his enemies, he was also moved by his lover. Cardinal Picromini guessed when Giulio answered Lucresia's request, and at that time, even Caesar's biological father, Alexander VI, chose to give up, and did not even send assassins belonging to the Borgia family, so what did Giulio go for? Although he and Caesar were called friends and even brothers, the affection between him was not so deep and sincere, so from that day on, Cardinal Picromini had anticipated this moment.

"Well," said Cardinal Picromini softly and gently, stroking Giulio's black hair, "well," he said as if he were a father in the face of a noisy son who wanted to go out and play, "do what you want, my child, just don't forget that I am always here for you." ”

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After Giulio left, the bookshelf behind Cardinal Picromini suddenly moved, and a man who was equally familiar to Giulio walked out.

"You're just letting him go?" Ezio asked, scrutinizing Piccomini's face, "I thought you were going to spank him." ”

"Even when he was only six years old, I didn't spank him." Cardinal Picromini said: "And he is now an adult. ”

"But you're pampering him like a child," Ezio walked to the end of the room, holding his dagger, "but aren't you really angry?" You won't have a second heir, or do you want Joshua? ”

Cardinal Picromini smiled, without any element of reluctance. "My heir is only Julio. Medici. "It is not ordained by mortals, it is ordained by God.

"The Virgin Mary," said Ezio, "you are not angry, and if Giulio had really given up his teaching position, everything you had done for him would have been in vain, and of course, there would be no future, but for the sake of a Lucrea, I said, you should not stop me when I was going to take him to meet those 'good people'." ”

"Do you think Giulio will accept it?" Cardinal Picromini asked rhetorically.

Ezio froze, he knew of course that Giulio wouldn't accept it.

"I thought you would be happy to see it." Cardinal Picromini stood up and changed a candle, and the room suddenly became bright, and his countenance became mentally healthy, Ezio could not help but shake his head, knowing that before Giulio stepped into the Picromini Palace, the cardinal was still sleeping comfortably, and Giulio had walked through the vast Picnomini Palace for enough time for him to be woken up, dressed, and lit a candle.

"I thought you'd be angry." Ezio whispered, "It's almost a betrayal. ”

"Don't be so harsh," said Cardinal Picromini gently, "the Saint Peter denied the Lord three times (note 1). ”

Ezio sighed, as an Assassin, he could never understand what these cloaked men were thinking, and although Cardinal Picromini was not angry and disappointed by Giulio's betrayal, it was best for them and for Florence, Picomini's tolerance was still bewildering him, and if it weren't for the fact that Giulio had inherited the beautiful faces of his father and mother, and the rare golden eyes, he would have thought that Giulio's name should be followed by Picotromini instead of Medici.

Cardinal Picromini smiled at this sigh, walked under the icon hanging on the wall, and began to pray, not at all worried that Giulio would really leave him, that the child might go astray, but that God would guide him back to the right path.

Ezio opened the door, revealing Joshua. Lovere.

Note 1: Before his arrest, Jesus prophesied that Peter would refuse to confess to knowing him three times in a row before the crows. As a result, when Jesus was interrogated, he refused to confess his relationship with Jesus three times out of fear.