Advent is the first of the seven feasts of the church, warning believers to wait for the coming of Jesus Christ, expecting him to come to the world to provoke crossbow arrows, commemorating the miracle of the Son's human incarnation, bringing light and salvation to mankind - during this week, believers complete their work with prayer and meditation, so the liturgical color of the church is solemn dark purple, but on the third Sunday of Advent, people call it the Lord's Day of Joy, so the purple of the sacrificial garments should be changed to rose.

"It's so cute." Leo X said.

The pope's rosary garment, made of a rich brocade of dark flowers, was also found on it, according to his command—If I sharpen my shining sword, and hold the power of judgment in my hands, I shall take revenge on my enemies, and repay those who hate me—a phrase that has caused many bishops uneasy, but if Giulio sharpens me. The Medici didn't say anything, and Leo X wouldn't have cared about anyone's reaction, but a bishop, at the suggestion of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, offered a holy belt with the story of King Saul and David embroidered with gold thread on the white belt - because God said that David could replace Saul as king, King Saul ordered his soldiers to hunt him down, and even killed God's attendants for it, but David did not do it when he had the opportunity to kill Saul, because in his eyes, Saul was also "anointed", That is, the King whom God has ordained.

Because David feared God, he did not dare to kill the king whom God had chosen. So it was also a reminder to Leo X that although he was an agent of God, even if he wanted revenge, it should be done in moderation.

Leo X accepted the gift graciously, he draped the holy belt on his body, and then agreed to allow Louis XII to come to the audience before the Mass on the third Sunday, and under the watchful eyes of more than a dozen cardinals, the king of France, together with his wife and children, walked step by step from outside the castle to the hall, their bodies carried a heavy cold, compared to the queen and the crown prince who could still receive the papal hospitality in the castle before, Louis XII looked much haggard, and was as thin as a skeleton covered with skin, he knelt at the feet of the pope, Kiss his holy feet and murmur for his forgiveness.

Leo X made him stand up and kissed him on the forehead to show that his sins had been forgiven.

But this pardon only means that the Holy Father has lifted his broken law, that he can go to any of the sacraments, and that the covenants and covenants he has made under God's supervision are still valid, but that he still lacks a copy of the Church's recognition of his throne - Louis XII continued to walk barefoot through the papal procession, dressed in sackcloth, like an ascetic, carrying a cross and walking barefoot through the snowy streets, his queen and the Dauphin following him with sorrow.

The people on both sides of the street held the wreath of Advent, which contained three purple candles, a rose-colored candle and a large white candle, in which the candles were to be lit in order every Sunday during the Advent period, and on Christmas Eve, all the candles were lit to represent the coming of Christ, and now, it was the rose-colored candles that flickered brightly, and the candlelight illuminated every earnest and pious face - Louis XII held the cross, and the queen and the Dauphin held the garlands, it is difficult to say, The rose-colored candles were for their lighting, warmth, or both, but they did give the mother and son a lot of comfort in the dim light of the day.

Dauphin Francis had thought he would faint from humiliation, but in fact he was not too embarrassed when it actually happened, perhaps because they were surrounded by many nuns and clergy, and the two men who were dressed simply—yes, only Louis XII were still dressed in sackcloth, and they looked like a pair of favored laity, and the eyes of the people were even a little envious, thinking that they were either relatives of a bishop, or the wives and children of a magnate.

Unbeknownst to anyone that they were the wives and children of sinners, they followed the procession through most of Rome before entering St. Peter's Basilica.

After the long and tedious Mass, Leo X, who had been assassinated and ill, could not hold on any longer, no matter how excited he was, and he returned to the Vatican Palace, where he fell asleep for a whole day, and when he woke up, he sent someone to tell Louis XII that he was the king of France again.

This was the end of Louis XII's punishment, of course, only on the surface, in order to seek the Pope's forgiveness, he played all his hole cards, and now he had to try to redeem Georges. Cardinal d'Amboise, and his priesthood, unless he wanted another person who might be in the hands of Leo X or another French prince to become archbishop of Rouen. The thought of this gave him a headache, he was sick, chaotic in the heat, day and night, but as long as he was alive, he still had countless urgent matters to deal with.

Louis XII wanted to return to Blois immediately, but his health did not allow it.

Queen Anne offered a Mass of well-being for him, and as is customary, three Masses for her son Francis, although she had been denied every time in recent years, but this time her request was sent to Julio. Medici's desk.

Leo X, who was in the signing room, listened to the request of the Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France, and asked curiously: "Why does she always appoint you to be the celebrant of Mass?" He glanced at Giulio: "And why were you willing before, and now you are not?" ”

"Maybe it's because I have too much business to do." Giulio said kindly, and Leo X reflexively shrunk his neck, of course, most of the official duties he gave Giulio.

"Well," said Leo X, "you do have a little more to do," he said as he took a few steps before Giulio's eyes, as if unintentionally, "but it is not one thing to disappoint a earnest mother, and perhaps you could write her a reply yourself?" ”

Giulio's pen paused for a moment, he wasn't sure if Leo X knew something, but he quickly calmed down: "I will, Your Excellency. ”

As Leo X had requested, he personally wrote a reply to Anne, almost equivalent to a formal letter, which Anne opened and looked at and tossed aside: "What a ruthless and ruthless man. ”

"Who are you talking about," said Mrs. Kindness unceremoniously, "you?" ”

Anne laughed, she was not unrepentant, after all, the ointment before and her, and the special treatment that Francis got was obviously behind Julio. The Medici's handiwork gave her a hint of delusion, but it turned out that his care for them had also ended here, he did not want to be her blade and shield, he was no longer so naïve, thinking that he could find flawless emotions in this murky world.

"What about Francis?" Anne asked.

"He's out." Madame Kindness said, "Prince Orange's son and his attendants are with him." ”

"It's okay, it's in Rome, and I want to...... His father wasn't really so cruel and cold. Anne said that only she and Madame Goodheart knew who she was referring to.

"People know that Rome now has a king." Mrs. Kindness sighed from the bottom of her heart.

"Only Louis XII doesn't know." Anne said contemptuously, "He saw only the walls of stone bricks, but not the fortress he had built in the hearts of the believers of the church." ”

"How difficult it is," said the Good Lady, who went to the window and looked at the people who came and went in the streets, for Rome now not only did she see no thieves, prostitutes and bandits, but there were far fewer clergy and nuns busy selling indulgences, relics and crosses, except for some monks of the Order of Mercy, dressed in black and with chains around their waists, distributing free unleavened bread and water to the poor pilgrims, who were grateful, but who said little but humble prayers and kind smiles, Of course, they will not be asked for money.

An old man shouted, "Don't you need to listen to my confession?" "That's how their priests are, even if they have taken the last of their children, he wants them to continue to indulge in remorse for their sins and fear of purgatory.

"I've heard you." The monk said, pointing to the sky: "God too." He comfortingly stroked the old man's forehead: "He has already forgiven you." ”

"But I ...... Shouldn't I do something? The old man asked suspiciously, which was undoubtedly very rude, but the monks of the Order of Mercy were accustomed to being questioned in this way, and the clergy, who did not make donations, nor sell holy things or indulgences, nor condemned or intimidated others, did not comfort these foolish people, but made them fearful.

"Then," said the monk, "has anyone sinned against you?" ”

"Yes." The old man said.

"Then go and forgive him," said the monk, "just as God forgives you." With that, he hurried away, and many others were waiting for him for food, water, and prayers.

The people who had the good fortune to witness this scene were several others besides Madame Kindness, one of whom was very young, and like many young men in Italy, he was richly dressed and arrogant, but he was much taller and stronger than the people of Rome, with an unusually large figure and a well-mannered appearance, with a pale beard on his lips, a large ruffled collar around his neck, cuffs adorned with rich lace, and a huge gold reliquary, set with pearls and rubies, hanging from his chest.

"No wonder they are so likable," he said with a smile, "if I were willing to give my people free food and water, they would support me and love me in this way." ”

"So the rumors are true," said Thomas. "They had the whole Medici family behind them, and we all know that the Medici cashmere, lanolin and glass mirrors brought them gold like the Arno River." ”

"Why," said Thomas. Henry VIII, the owner of Wolsey, the king of England, said: "He also had Tuscany and Romagna. He continued to walk slowly, surveying every corner of Rome, as the king of England, the former crown prince and prince, he was not the first time to come to Rome, but it was completely different from his impression of the chaotic and dirty Rome, the new Rome no longer had any idle people, the streets were no longer feces and filth, and the roads were even divided into areas for carriages and pedestrians—they walked in fixed places, women (though rarely) walked on the inside of the line, men on the outside, And most of the people on one side only go in one direction, but this is not a rule, but people still need to ensure their safety at this time, women are protected, and men must ensure that they can draw their short swords or daggers immediately.

Every few minutes, they could see two Italian musketeers armed with muskets and crossbows, accompanied by a group of Swiss spearmen, who were said to have been summoned to Rome by the Medici in 1503, when Pius III was elected, and to serve the Pope...... For nearly a decade, this is really rare, because the successive popes have almost only believed in their own family, and what kind of surname they have, Rome belongs to the family with that surname - Pius III is an exception, but Giulio. The Medici was also his most credible disciple, but it was Julius II, who almost made people laugh to death after his accession to the throne - the poor Lovere, who first lost a powerful cardinal, and then were alienated from the circle of power in the Church, and were almost driven out of Rome, it is no wonder that they later ignored Julius II, and even fell into the ground.

"The Swiss have benefited a lot from the Pope." Henry VIII muttered softly.

Thomas. "Be careful," he said, "and this is not London," he said. "Henry, in particular, did not make it public, that he had come to Rome as a retinue of Thomas, and that he was frivolous and curious like a young man of modest birth. If his identity is discovered, who knows what will happen.

There were quite a few French here, who had followed Louis XII, and the King of England and the King of France were not good friends.

"It's time for you to go back." Thomas said helplessly: "Are there any other jokes to watch?" Louis XII was pardoned, and soon returned to Blois, and the king of England should be in London.

And as a king, even if the Advent Mass is over, do you want to be absent from the Great Mass on Christmas Eve?

"Do you know what your shortcomings are?" Henry VIII pointed at Thomas dissatisfied. Wolsey's chest: "It's too stereotypical, too timid, and a little stupid, you underestimate me, and you underestimate the Medici," he showed a smirk smile: "Do you believe it?" Maybe the whole of Rome didn't know I was coming, but he definitely would. ”

"He's not going to let a king die in Rome."

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