"I heard that you managed to convince a guy who was originally working for Julio. Young people working in Medici. Cardinal Grande Lovere asked: "Well, has he brought you any useful information?" ”

"Originally," said Joshua, "it was a pity that he was so impulsive that within a few days he showed his tracks, and the Medici banished him." He smiled slightly: "It seems that Giulio has also learned a lot of lessons from Borgia." ”

"And now?"

"He's working for me," Joshua said, "but it's a very handy tool for all the recklessness of some young people." ”

"I know you've recruited quite a few clerics, but be careful," Cardinal Grande Lovere twisted his lips uneasily, "Don't forget our ultimate goal, reform is only a means to achieve it, don't put the cart before the horse." ”

"How so, father," Joshua said calmly, "of course I know what I'm doing. ”

"But I have heard that several cardinals have said that the clergy under your command have caused a lot of trouble to the people of Rome."

"It's not necessarily an understatement to say that it is troublesome." Joshua said, "Do you want to see the records of the Inquisition?" ”

"That means you've done more."

"Otherwise, how can they be willing to bow down?" Joshua said, "They are insatiable beasts, and the House of Lovere is no longer as powerful and wealthy as Sixtus IV and your uncle—we have no money or territory to satisfy their appetites, so we have to find another way." ”

"You're threatening the entire Cardinals."

"How is that possible?" Joshua denied, "I never wanted to confront the whole of the cardinals, against whom there were others. After all, they are still so young, and they are so upright and full of enthusiasm, there will always be times when they accidentally cross the line and violate the rules...... Of course, when they got what we needed for us, and lost the value of their existence – the 'people of Rome' could do whatever they wanted.

When the time comes, we will try to cede some interests or authority, and we will be able to appease the anger of the cardinals. ”

Cardinal Lovere didn't speak, he still couldn't believe his son, but Joshua was right, the Lovere family was not as good as it used to be, at least for a year or two, they couldn't afford to pay for the votes. What made him even more angry was that the Wisneys claimed to be fighting the Portuguese, but in fact they were eyeing the Romagna region - Caesar. Borgia, Duke Romagna, after the death of his lord, most of his territory was reclaimed by his original owner, but there were some small areas - especially Camerino, the territory of Cardinal Grande Lovere's nephew was between Pesaro and Camerino, and during Caesar's conquest of Romagna, the lord did not even have the desire to resist, and fled with his money and family.

When Caesar died, Lovere returned to Senigany, and not only that, but he also managed to bribe the captain of the mercenary forces stationed in Seniganya that originally belonged to Borgia, conquered Camerino by force, merged the two cities into one, and posed a threat to Pesaro, who of course supported Cardinal Rovelle the Grande, but before he could make a move, the Wisneys launched a war against Pesaro, the hapless Duke of Pesaro, Giovanni. Sforza again had to flee from enemy fire again.

And the Venetians did not stop there, as if to regain the territory and glory lost to the Turkish Ottomans, they made a series of arrangements for Ferrara and Urbino (another territory that Cardinal Grande Lovere intended to plot) – the last time it was Borgia. This angered Cardinal Lovere, and let's not forget that he was the one who would do whatever it took to enter the Vatican Palace and do something great, although he had to give up his long-cherished wish because of Borgia's conspiracy, but it also meant that his obsession with power became even more insane - if anyone had to have ambitions for the whole of Italy, it could only be Lovere.

"Wait until ......," he thought, he would make these despicable Venetians pay. But how long will they have to wait? Cardinal Lovere the Grande calculated in his mind that he was younger than Pius III, but not a young man, and that he was often overwhelmed when he returned to Rome because of his serious injuries—he was full of contradictions, fearing that Joshua's reforms would eventually affect the Cardinals' perception of the Loveres and even provoke their hostility; Second, he hoped that those actions in the name of reform would gather money and power for the Lovere family as soon as possible, so that he could put an end to this dangerous situation as soon as possible, and lead the Holy See, Rome, Italy, and all of Europe on a glorious journey.

"Bless your shepherd, O God, and bless your warriors." Cardinal Grande Lovere drew a cross on his chest and muttered, and just as he was about to turn to leave the room, he spat out the window.

Joshua. After he left, Lovere went to the window and looked down, and he saw Martin. Rod and a few of the judges were walking down the street, and when they caught a glimpse of the chain, they bowed humbly, but unfortunately they didn't notice the fear and disgust that lurked beneath the surface of peace—Joshua only found it amusing, and of course, he knew that Pius III wanted to reform, but he only wanted him to be the blade, and his identity was in fact no different from that of these young priests.

But who knows the outcome until the end.

Cardinal Lovere Jr. picked up the cross hanging on his chest, put it to his lips and kissed it, perhaps because of inhaling the humid air at dusk, he coughed uncontrollably, in fact, the doctor had warned him that if he continued to sleep less, fasting and whipping, his body would become weaker and weaker, but he must have the same power as Giulio. The great prestige of the Medici was able to transfer the love of the Romans from him to himself, and in a short time only penance could do this.

He lifted his robe and examined the piece of iron he had tied to the outside of his thigh, which pricked his skin and made him bleed with every step he took.

Joshua took out the white powder hidden in the box and poured a little over the bloody wound, not afraid of pain, but not wanting to fall ill or die—at least not until he had his wish. As he put away the bottle, he couldn't help but laugh mockingly, which had been given to him by Piccromini in order to gain his trust with Alexander VI, but the stern old man probably didn't know that he had learned so much more from them.

————————————

Julio. The Medici put away the letter.

The messenger carefully examined his expression, and from the outside, the cardinal did not reveal the slightest hint of his heart. But you don't have to look at it, you don't have to guess to know that the second cardinal of the Medici family in Rome, and the most powerful cardinal in Rome, must have been angry in his heart, after all, at this time, people value the family even more than friendship, love and family, and people know that this cardinal not only exchanged cashmere and lanolin for Florence's forgiveness of the Medici, but also his sister Constena in his fellow palace. When the Medici got married, she was given a secret recipe for how to make a glass mirror in her dowry.

The mirror made by this secret recipe was larger, brighter, and clearer than the one made by the Venetians, and even if the French had made the same goods, it still added a considerable amount of income to the Neri family, and this income would last for at least twenty years.

Nothing better reflects the affection of the siblings.

It was quite fortunate that there were no dead in this terrible calamity, but in addition to anger, Giulio felt an equally deep sense of weariness and hatred...... For this era, this place, this era. He held his chest down, and a great beast was roaring to tear open what he was holding on tore and rush out—even Picromini knew that there were as many joyful manas and as many desperate worms as there were in his heart.

Borgia, Lovere, the Order of Cardinals, and even the whole of Rome, Italy, or the Turkish Ottomans, whom Europa considered their great enemies...... As soon as he lifted a small crack in the box, tens of thousands of people would die wailing and dying.

gunpowder, floods, locusts, pestilences...... Especially the last one, even the generals, kings and popes, may not be able to escape death.

"Click."

The messenger looked at the cardinal's room without warning—he saw first a tuft of curly black hair, then a smooth forehead, turquoise, and round eyes.

Cosimo Jr. found his "uncle" at a glance, and out of the sensitivity of the child, he was able to detect Giulio. There was an unsettling atmosphere around the Medici, but it disappeared when Giulio raised his hand and smiled and beckoned to him, and he ran over in a hurry and threw himself into Giulio's arms.

"Go on." Giulio casually placed the parchment on the small table in front of him, nodded to the messenger, lifted little Cosimo with both hands, placed him in his arms, absentmindedly touched his hair, and rested his chin on it.

The messenger was stunned for a moment, "Yes, Your Highness," he said, "there are already several families...... "he said the surnames of those families, "they all refuse to buy your potions anymore, but the lanolin is still being produced." ”

"Well," said Giulio, "I already know, tell my sister and reassure him that we already know who the person who stole the formula is." ”

"That's great." The messenger said, "The value of the potion is secondary, and we are worried about your safety, a dangerous and strange enemy...... We don't know his true identity yet. ”

"Danger is real, but strangeness is not." Giulio said, but did not continue, and the messenger had to put his doubts on the go. "Of these families, there is no Piruzzi and no Sodrini?"

"Nope." The messenger hesitated: "Do you want to pay attention to them?" ”

"Watch out for the Sodrini family." "They had previously sought the position of Archbishop of Florence for Cardinal Sodrini, but His Excellency the Pope vetoed it and he decided to let Joe be the Archbishop of Florence," Giulio said. ”

The messenger's face showed a look of luck.

"And besides," the messenger continued, "Lady Caterina of Forlì, I want your brother-in-law Bianca to return to Forlì with her. ”

"Now that Cosimo Jr. is here," said Giulio, "apparently she has been convinced." ”

————————————

Katerina. Sforza was one of the few women of this time who did not like to ride on bridges or carriages, and if it were not for her relatives or lovers, she would rather ride on a tall Arabian horse and gallop with her escort in the wilderness, but now, and perhaps in the future, she must give up this hobby. Doctors said that her lungs had been pierced, and they had no way of knowing for sure if it had healed on its own, so it would have been difficult for her to breathe without even strenuous exercise — let alone horseback riding, jousting, etc. — and Caterina was reluctant at first, but when she untied the bandage and saw the horrible bulge that would rise and fall with her breathing, she had to resign to her fate.

"If I could have a son like Ezio," said Caterina without minus, "I would not have cared about it at all—I would rather ride on a horse and go to the grave than ride this fluffy thing." ”

"Please be quiet." Bianca said that she had been looking out the window since she was in the same bridge with her mother, and now she couldn't help but turn her head to her mother: "Do you think you're still that strong? ”

"At least better than you, even if it's me now," Caterina scoffed, "How many pounds of sword can you swing now?" One pound, or two pounds? Did you pull your fingers with little Cosimo and vow to practice swordsmanship with him when he returns? The weight of the long sword is about three pounds, and the weight of a one-and-a-half sword is four and a half pounds. ”

"I'll do it!" Bianca shouted angrily.

Caterina pouted, and after once again being so angry with her daughter that she could not speak, the mother-wolf of Forlì, who was still fighting even though she was wounded, hummed happily, and after a while she added: "I am now grateful to the Lord of Rome, for I am much more relieved to have him guide and raise little Cosimo." ”

"I was supposed to go with him." Bianca said.

"That grown-up won't be happy to see you." "He does need a mother who loves his children, but he definitely doesn't need someone who dotes on him," Caterina said leisurely. ”

Bianca screwed her head back again.

"You can go back," said Caterina, "how good it is to be Gadis, and I like Gadis, for the smell of flowers and straw in the air, the freshness and delicacy of the food, the warm baths, the courteous servants, the surrounding of friends and relatives, and the kindness and forgiveness of your husband—I am not a man who does not look down on others—but if you go back, do not come back." ”

Bianca was silent for a long time: "I'll go to Forlì with you." ”

The she-wolf of Forlì opened her eyes, looked at her curiously, and then couldn't help but beat the soft pillow on her side and laughed: "Oh," she said breathlessly, "my dear daughter, do you still think that I ordered you to accompany me back to Forlì because I am afraid of death that may come at any time, so I need a loved one by my side?" No, my dear, you really didn't understand what I meant—I'm not begging for your forgiveness, I said I would never regret it, and I'm not going to ask anyone's forgiveness—I'm saying that once you're gone, when you come back, it's not necessarily me who greets you, it may be...... Well, whoever—because I'm dead, and you're not with me, even if you're my legal heir, no one will send you a letter and respectfully wait for your return?

It's not just those who attack us who covet Imola and Forlì, the mercenaries around me, my bastards, and the ministers of Imola and Forlì, Faenza and Urbino, like a pack of wolves surrounded by delicious meat bait, and as soon as I close my eyes, they will pounce and tear the flesh from me. ”

"So," said Caterina, "you have nothing to be wronged by, Bianca. If you really love that child, you should be ready to risk your life now—you have to be more cruel and ruthless than I am to keep his territory, and his life—Bianca, you leave now, go to Rome, and maybe you can live happily and peacefully with little Cosimo for several years under the protection of that adult, but then little Cosimo will never want to inherit Imola and Forlì, and everyone who gets Imola and Forlì will try to get rid of him, because he can get back what belongs to him at any time.

You know, Louis XII of France has been working tirelessly to win Milan, just because he is the grandson of Visconti.

Do you understand? Not only do you have to inherit Imora and Forlì, but you also have to become so powerful that no one dares to set their eyes on your cub - Bianca...... You've always thought that you, or any woman, could do better than me...... Well, now an opportunity is in front of you. ”

Caterina clapped her hands: "It's up to you!" ”

Bianca, by this time, could barely speak, her hands clutching the railing of the bridge, as if to drive away her fears—she suddenly realized what she was about to face—a nightmare more than ever.

But it was also a challenge she had to face.

————————————————

Little Cosimo had no idea what kind of entanglement his mother was in, Rome made him feel strange, but at the side of his biological father, he was not afraid, but he hated our Pope a little, because as soon as he saw little Cosimo curled up in Giulio's arms, he would drive him away—shhhhh ”

"Look," said Giulio, with honor, "little Cosimo has mastered a hundred Latin words. ”

Pius III scoffed: "You can recite the entire Bible in Latin when you are six years old. ”

Giulio sighed and silently apologized to little Cosimo – Latin was something he had "already" mastered, and the reason why he could not memorize the Bible until he was six years old was because he was able to speak a large number of words fluently at that time—after all, the vocal organs of young children are limited.

"So how are you going to teach little Cosimo?" Pius III felt that he could still give Giulio a little guidance on the arrangement of the course, and he deeply regretted that he had heard that Giulio did not learn well in the stick course.

"I'm not going to teach him alone." "It's so striking," said Giulio, "that I want to open a school for enlightened children only," he said, glancing at Pius III: "The kind that doesn't use sticks and rulers." ”

Pius III said solemnly, "It would be a hell. ”

"Even if it is," said Giulio, "but I still want to try." ”

"And what about your position in the Inquisition?"

"Cardinal Lovere Grande probably can't bear it any longer," said Giulio, smiling, "and he seeks justice from you, so Cardinal Lovere Junior has done the same work as me, but now Cardinal Lovere Junior has many disputes with me on canon law – and the Cardinals apparently feel that my interpretation is the right one." ”

"So he'll be coming soon and asking me to transfer you away." Pius III said, "But how is he going to convince me? ”

"It's not you he's trying to convince, it's me." "What happened to Cadiz, if it succeeded, was a blow, and if it didn't, it was a threat," Giulio said. ”

"Then do as he wishes." Pius III said.

————————————

Julio. The news of Cardinal Medici's departure from the Ministry of Jurisprudence spread quickly.

For those who were Joshua. The judges, especially the non-Romans, who were uplifted by Lovere, of course, thought it was a good thing that they had been too simple-minded, and under the influence of Cardinal Lovere, they had become stubborn and extreme, unable to tolerate the slightest deviation from the course of their intentions - and although they were not qualified to participate in the secret meetings of the cardinals, they were the first to know whether the decree had been amended "correctly". Cardinal Medici, they hardly have a good feeling, because although he is young, he has lost the courage and edge that he should have, and only knows how to follow the flames and flattery, which makes them deeply ashamed.

But among the judges, there was also Julio. supporters of the Medici, as a result of which in a heated debate they beat each other, resulting in two disabled and many more injured.

Martin. Rudd was one of them, he was not a supporter of the Medici, but he also believed that the Medici were not so shameless—when he returned to his room, wiped his wound with a potion (again given to him by Brother Desi), and was ordered to receive five lashes, his heart could not help but waver slightly.

But he soon lost his memory of anything, the whip in the Inquisition was not the black iron ruler of Brother Desi, the latter seemed terrible, but the torturer was merciful, and the former, whose coldness and hardness may not be comparable to the heart of the torturer.

。 m.